Publications

The impact of Age Regulations on pension schemes

Guidance on Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 and their impact on occupational and personal pension schemes. Contains chapters on Summary of key aspects of the Regulations; Main features of the Regulations in relation to pension schemes; Powers of trustees or managers; Claims in the Employment Tribunal and other complaints; Making use of the exemptions; Actions to be taken; Questions and answers and case studies.

Please note that this document is 125 pages long.

The impact of Age Regulations on pension schemes (PDF 1.1MB)

Statistical Information: Older Workers

This report includes Key Facts and Figures; Characteristics of older people in the labour market; Employment and unemployment rates of older people and the occupations of older workers.

Older Workers: Statistical Information Booklet, Quarter Two, Apr - Jun 2007 (PDF - 286KB)

Age Positive Guides

Age Positive guidebooks to help employers get to grips with some of the most common issues raised since the age regulations were implemented. These easy-to-read booklets look at how age impacts on various aspects of employment practices, including non-ageist recruitment and flexible retirement.

• Flexible Retirement and Retirement (PDF - 594KB)
• Flexible Working (PDF - 281KB)
• Health & Safety and Ergonomics (PDF - 317KB)
• Human Resources (HR) (PDF - 324KB)
• Pay and Non-Pay Benefits (PDF - 307KB)
• Promotion (PDF - 268KB)
• Recruitment (PDF - 326KB)
• Redundancy (PDF - 294KB
• Selection (PDF - 308KB)
• Training (PDF - 257KB)
• Workforce Management (PDF - 313KB)

20 key facts your business needs to know about age legislation

A fact sheet with key points about the forthcoming age legislation plus brief answers about what the law will cover and how it will impact on your business.

20 key facts your business needs to know about age legislation (PDF - 49KB)

Age and the Workplace

Acas guidance for employers. Putting the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations into practice.

From 1 October 2006, the Age regulations make it unlawful to discriminate against workers, employees, job seekers and trainees because of their age. This booklet describes the regulations and gives you guidance on how to implement them.

Age and the Workplace (PDF - 563KB)

Age Diversity At Work

This publication updates the Code of Practice on Age Diversity. It offers employers information on how to improve their age policies.

Age Diversity At Work (PDF - 1.37MB)

Age Legislation Factsheets:

Overview. Businesses increasingly need to recognise the benefits of age diversity in the workplace. Treating staff fairly and recognising individual talents and needs is not just the right thing to do, but makes good business sense as well.

Overview factsheet (PDF - 18KB)

Objective Justification. What is objective justification? The new laws recognise that differences of treatment on the grounds of age can sometimes be justified. However, this does not mean that unfair discrimination will be allowed to continue. Employers will not be able to make arbitrary decisions, which are not supported by evidence.

Objective Justification factsheet (PDF - 18KB)

Redundancy. The Government is removing the lower and upper age limits in the statutory redundancy payments scheme. Under the new laws, once they have completed the employer’s minimum qualifying period, workers under 18 and over 65 will receive the same rights to redundancy payments.

Redundancy factsheet (PDF - 18KB)

Retirement. As part of the age discrimination laws new retirement procedures are being introduced. The procedures will enable a constructive dialogue between employees who want to continue working after retirement age and their employers.

Retirement factsheet (PDF - 28KB)

Service-Related Benefits. The Government recognises that service-related pay and benefits are used widely to motivate staff, reward loyalty, and recognise experience. So, the new laws will allow employers to continue using length of service criteria to reward staff, as long as the period of service is not more than five years. However, employers can use length of service criteria that exceeds five years if they can justify their actions.

Service-Related Benefits factsheet (PDF - 16KB)

Vocational Training. Equal access to vocational training means greater employability for workers and enhanced workplace satisfaction. Under the age discrimination laws, age will not be a barrier when it comes to young or old employees seeking vocational training.

Vocational Training factsheet (PDF - 26KB)

Age Partnership Group research

A review of available guidance and products to promote good practice around age diversity and discrimination and to help employers prepare for forthcoming age legislation.

Review of Age Products - summary (PDF - 67KB)

Review of Age Products (PDF - 249KB)

Age: Why? - factsheet for individuals

This highlights some of the key issues about choice and planning for work and retirement.

Age: Why? - factsheet for individuals (PDF - 436KB)

Are you over 50?

A practical guide to advice, support and sevices across government

Are you over 50? (PDF - 619KB)

Flexible Retirement: snapshot of employer practices

The findings from the research, summarised in this document, include a practical guide for employers who may wish to take advantage of the proposed HMRC rule changes in order to deliver flexible retirement options for their employees.

Flexible Retirement: snapshot of employer practice 2006 (PDF - 227KB)

Managing an ageing workforce. Reports for employers.

These reports are about how firms in different business sectors are managing an ageing workforce. They have been written for the Department for Work and Pensions by the Centre for Research into the Older Workforce (CROW) to help employers to make better use of older workers. The reports also help to raise awareness of the new Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 which become law in October 2006, and prohibit age discrimination in work or training against people of any age.

Managing an ageing workforce in business services (PDF - 281KB)

Managing an ageing workforce in construction (PDF - 201KB)

Managing an ageing workforce in education (PDF - 272KB)

Managing an ageing workforce in health and social care (PDF - 280KB)

Managing an ageing workforce in hospitality (PDF - 261KB)

Managing an ageing workforce in manufacturing (PDF - 235KB)

Managing an ageing workforce in retail (PDF - 288KB)

Managing an ageing workforce in the 'other community' sector (PDF - 277KB)

Managing an ageing workforce in transport and logistics (PDF - 260KB)

Opportunity Age – Meeting the challenges of ageing in the 21st century

Society in the UK is changing. More people are living longer in greater prosperity. And over the next decades the numbers over 50, over 65 and over 80 will all increase to levels never previously seen.

This strategy and its supporting volume of evidence take the first steps in developing the nation’s approach. They set out a coherent framework for developing policies, and the principles that the Government believes must underpin progress.

Opportunity Age - Meeting the challenges of ageing in the 21st century (PDF - 2.56MB)

Removing ageism: make it your business

It is essential that employers conduct an immediate review of their working practices, to help identify where changes need to be made following the introduction of age legislation. This is a simple-to-follow 3 step Age Positive business checklist.

Removing ageism: make it your business (PDF - 224KB)

Statistical Information: Older Workers

This report includes Key Facts and Figures; Characteristics of older people in the labour market; Employment and unemployment rates of older people and the occupations of older workers.

Older Workers: Statistical Information Booklet - Quarter Four - Autumn 2006 (PDF - 269KB)

Older Workers: Statistical Information Booklet - Spring 2006 (PDF - 287KB)

Survey of employers’ policies, practices and preferences relating to age

This survey was designed to establish, prior to the implementation of the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006, the extent to which current employment policies and practices have an age dimension. It provides a baseline measure for evaluating the effectiveness of the regulations.

Survey of employer's policies, practices and preferences relating to age (PDF 464KB)

Training participation by age amongst unemployed and inactive people

This project examines the evidence relating to training by age amongst people who are currently unemployed or economically inactive.

Training participation by age amongst unemployed and inactive people (PDF - 426KB)

What employers look for when recruiting the unemployed and inactive: skills, characteristics and qualifications

This study examines what employers seek when recruiting, and the extent to which government provision meets their needs.
What employers look for when recruiting the unemployed and inactive (PDF - 203KB)