We reported previously on the Coalition Government’s plans to combat age discrimination by abolishing the default retirement age. We report now on some of the detail contained within the consultation document “Phasing out the default retirement age”. The Government estimates that the removal of the Default Retirement Age will impact upon a number of areas.…

Viewing entries in BBC News Politicians are being urged to scrap the default retirement age amid concerns that employers have used it to save costs during the recession.  A senior Catholic police officer is to take a case against the PSNI alleging religious and age discrimination.  A policy of health testing older taxi drivers in…

French law requires a payment to be made to fixed term contract employees at the end of their contract. The payment is equal to 10% of the total gross remuneration that the employee received during the length of the contract. There is no eligibility for the payment where the employee is a “young person” and…

Ms Dippenaar had been a teacher with Bethnal Green and Shoreditch Education Trust (“the Education Trust”) for 13 years, during which time her teaching was rated highly and her students performed consistently well. From 2012, when a new Head of Faculty/Director of Learning was appointed, Ms Dippenaar began to receive negative assessments following teaching observations.…

Young people were already helping shape their own future at the Assembly yesterday – just two days after Obama told them to. Members of the Northern Ireland Youth Forum (NIYF) took the President’s advice to heart when they appeared before the committee which monitors the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister and called…

This is the case about whether using length of service as a criterion for redundancy selection consititutes unlawful indirect age discrimination against younger workers.  Facts Rolls Royce sought a declaration from the High Court that continuing to apply a collective agreement which included service in the redundancy selection matrix would be unlawfully discriminatory. The High Court…

This case was originally heard by an employment tribunal and its decision delivered in December 2007. An appeal against the tribunal’s decision was heard by the Employment Appeal Tribunal in July 2008. The EAT decision is available here. Facts and background ICI’s redundancy pay was calculated by subjecting ‘qualifying pay’ to two multiples: the first…

Mr Engel held the office of Parking Adjudicator with the Transport and Environment Committee of London Councils (“TECLC”). The role of a Parking Adjudicator is judicial in nature and involves ruling on parking violations. Terms of office are 5 years. Mr Engel was appointed in 2002 and his appointment was renewed again in 2007. However,…

In relation to non-retirement dismissals, the decision in Hussain v Live Nation (Venues) Ltd illustrates the danger for an employer in seeking to play the ‘age card’.  Facts Mr Hussain was dismissed, aged 52, after many years’ service as front of house manager at the Hippodrome Theatre in Bristol for alleged gross misconduct in relation…

Mr Clements worked for Lloyd Bank. On 5 January 2012, Mr Shawcross raised concerns about Mr Clements’s performance. Mr Shawcross said to Mr Clements “you’re not 25 anymore”. Believing Mr Shawcross’s comments and performance review to be age discrimination, Mr Clements brought a grievance against Lloyd Bank. This was unsuccessful. Mr Clements resigned on 12…