Age bias: Employers are warned about new age rules

People between the ages of 35 and 40 are the only group unlikely to be deemed too old or too young for a job.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD) said one in 12 people under 35 had been told they were too young for a job, while age bias was worse for over 40-year-olds.

Age discrimination is banned in the UK from 2006, with firms urged to act now.

Golden age

Within three years, British employers will be acting illegally if they let age prejudice their recruitment or treatment of workers.

Key figures One in five put off from applying for a job because of age rules in an advert 8% of under-35s have been told they are too young for a job 15% of workers have experience discrimination of some kind during a job interview Over a third of workers over 50 have experienced age bias at work 40% of all workers have been discriminated at work. Age is cited as the main reason for discrimination in a third of all cases

This is because the government must implement European legislation banning age discrimination by December 2006.

The CIPD, which carried out the research, is urging employers to change their attitudes and procedures before the legislation comes into force.

"Waiting for legislation - which in itself could trigger knee-jerk, damage-limitation responses - will be too late, and may leave companies exposed to legal risks," it warned.

By 2050, there will be only two working people to support every pensioner.

It is estimated that if older people were not discriminated against, the UK economy would benefit by more than �30bn a year.

Experts are now eagerly awaiting the publication of draft regulations in Spring 2004.

Have you suffered from age discrimination in the workplace? Is your employer changing its ways in advance of new legislation in 2006? Or are they still in the dark ages when it comes to attitudes towards a worker's age? Send in your comments:

Constantly suffering from age discrimination particularly when applying for positions ever since I returned to this country from working overseas at the grand old age of 48!! For 4 years it has continued. When will employers realise that a qualified, experienced and mature person in their early 50's can bring so much to their company and is likely to have more staying power than a 30-something who is going to be looking for pastures/promotion new after a couple of years. I am open to any offers of permanent employment where my background, knowledge, experience, adaptability and staying power will be seen as a positive benefit!!
Paul Verdeyen, Kidderminster U.K.

My CV doesn't have my date of birth on it (I'm 36). At an interview last year I was told at the beginning that they were expecting someone older from the experience and job history on my CV. Needless to say the interview was short and I didn't get the job. Hard to see how this type of discrimination will be overcome.
Jacky Cumberland, Orpington, Kent

35 to 40? In IT where I work I'm already considered over the hill at 36! So much for that piece of 'research' then - and the sooner the age discrimination bill comes in the better as far as I am concerned.
Caroline, London, UK

Having taken early retirement at 53 I was told by one recruitment consultant that he had several well paid jobs I could fit into perfectly with my many years of experience. Unfortunately I wouldn't get any of them as I was considered to old by employers.
Colin Shepherd, Farnham UK

I'm 57 and looking for a new position. Recent enquiries to various agencies have all been okay until we get to the age issue and then its "you would not fit in to the dynamic team they are building" or "we are not getting a response from our client on over 45 year olds".

I belive all the rules and regulations in the world will not change this at all. If they do not want older people they will find an axcuse not to employ them
John, Luton Bedfordshire

I would love to be in full-time employment, but in my 50s am considered too old - I do not include my date of birth on my CV and could pass for late 40s - to no avail.

Legislation will do little to change attitudes - one only has to look at the US - where legislation is in place - but ageism is as rife as this side of the pond
Ann Francis, Kingston-upon-Hull, East Yorkshire, UK

Over the past 10 years, I am now 61, I have not been given many opportunities for interviews, let alone the urgently needed work, for which I am both qualified and experienced. I am part of the Age Concern Worthy of Work campaign, having appeared on local TV last year. Still I do not receive calls to work!
Gwen Girdwood, Winchester, UK

Like other legislation that is supposed to protect employees from other froms of prejudice such as sex, race and pregnancy this is doomed to fail. All the legislation does is stops an employer stating that is the reason they have not employed/promoted you. Partly this is because employers know that, in general terms, there are differences between age groups.

Younger people (18 to 25) are seen as energetic, enthusiastic but lack experience; People in their mid careers (26 to 45) are viewed as career minded, committed, and stable. However, especially if female and they have kids they will need more time off. Older (46 to 65) are viewed as experienced, mature, dependable but expect higher wages and often resistant to change.
Richard , London

I have to openly admit to discriminating against age in a previous career when I was in a position of employing people. It was in favour of people over 50 as I saw them as the most reliable employees who seemed to appreciate thier jobs far more than those under 40. I was under 35 myself at the time.
Simon Colliss, Oxford UK

In the eyes of employers I am an old 48 yet in the eyes of the fovernment I am still young and should not be considering retirement for possibly another 20 years. The now so called "over the hill" generation born in the fifties has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever, generating an explosion of bold innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned to deal with it all. We may not all have a degree or a documented "achievement book" but what we do have is vision, perception, passion and an understanding of how profits pay wages. We are also not scared to question all and everything in our efforts to ensure the product or service offered is what the customer wants! All new legislation will achieve is being invited to more interviews to simply fulfill the companies legal statistical requirements of considering all ages. What we need is a change in attitude not legislation.
Chris McCaffrey, Preston Lancs

With the average age and the number of pensionable people increasing, Employers will have no other option than to employ older people. Recruiting of younger staff may come with a premium attached due to supply and demand of labour. Ageism may not exist by 2050 due to the supply, demand and the number of jobs available.
John Davies, Medway, Kent, England.

Over 50 and I cannot even get an interview. When I left out my age and date of birth from my CV, I was contacted by the prospective employers and asked for it. The water industry appears to be the worst for this behaviour, according to various employment agencies..
Ron Organ, Huddersfield UK

It is both naive and ignorant that companies should choose to recruit only younger, or occasionally only older, people. Age discrimination throughout UK plc is widespread and is having a negative impact on employment and employability. Indeed many organizations, whilst admitting that their approach is short-term, persist, if advertisements and selection criteria are to be believed, with ageist policies. But, whilst most companies want experience and commitment they will not employ or re-train older workers. With an increasingly ageing population throughout Europe the workplace must, by necessity, include those currently, and often unnecessarily, being removed from many levels of management and the shop floor. Management fads over the last two decades have increased insecurity among employees. Insecurity not only undermines consumer confidence but it also impinges on regional and national economic prosperity. Basically, if I do not earn I do not have therefore, I cannot purchase; if I do not purchase then demand is reduced; and, if demand is reduced then companies have little recourse but to reduce the workforce. A �Catch 22� scenario that must be gripped before it gets even further out of hand.
Kenneth Armitage, Ipswich, Suffolk, England

I also work in IT and the industry is rife with ageism, at 35 you still have 30 years of working life to give an employer but this is ignored and empoyers look for younger people - probably because they can pay them less. I hope this new legislation can change that and all indviduals are given a fair chance when applying for a job.
Roger B, London ,UK

Wait till you're 53 and then you'll see real discrimination - I've been job hunting since November 5th and have received some of the most transparent "no way" rejection letters. The most common phrase is "other more closely matched our clients criteria". The new legislation will do nothing to change the situation.
Steve Morton, Chipping Campden, UK

Here in the USA, age discrimination is illegal, and has been for some years. All that happens is they find other "reasons" when they find out roughly how old you are (you don't put date of birth or age on an American resume). I drove 200 miles to an interview within Pennsylvania, only to be told that "they wanted to appoint a local candidate". So why invite me for the interview, folks? Another American employer told me over the phone that there was minimal travelling involved, and then suddenly found a 50% travel requirement at the interview. They already knew I'd turn that down. All that the age discrimination legislation will mean in the UK come 2006 is that you'll get to hear some more inventive reasons if employers think you're not the "right" age.
Brian Meadows, Wellsboro, PA, USA

I'm 47, with an honours degree in Computer Systems and 25 years experience in the IT industry. I'm bang up to date with an excellent CV and a string of recent courses and exam passes. I was made redundant last year and have applied for dozens of jobs I know I would be extremely good at, yet I don't even get interviews. Can the country really afford for people to be written off at 47?
Chris, Southampton, England

The easy answer is to become an executive or director. They can carry on working way into their sixties and seventies.
Steve, London, UK

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