The UK introduced age discrimination legislation covering employment and vocational training when the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations came into force on 1 October 2006. The Regulations covered many aspects of working life from recruitment to retirement and pension. The legislation generally made it unlawful to discriminate against a person on grounds of their age. However there were some exemptions.
On 1 October 2010 the Equality Act became law. The Act brings together nine separate pieces of legislation, including the Age Regulations, into one single Act simplifying the law and strengthening it in important ways to help tackle discrimination and inequality. The new law takes over from the old laws.
For six years TAEN was an active member of the Age Advisory Group, participating in discussions and preparations with the Department of Trade and Industry and other bodies on the transposition of the EU’s Equal Treatment Directive 2000 (on which the Regulations were based) into UK law.
This section of the website provides guides on different aspects of the legislation as they relate to employment, training, retirement and pensions and on how to bring a claim.
There are tools that enable users to submit questions about the legislation; seek a legal view as to their prospects of bringing a successful claim; and sample questions to help when considering what to ask in a statutory questionnaire. The site also provides news relating to the legislation and age discrimination cases; FAQs; and useful links to other websites providing similar information.
This section of the TAEN website is designed to provide general information only. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the information provided is accurate, it does not constitute legal or other professional advice.
View our guides to the age provisions of the Equality Act.
Ask a question, check what you need to do to bring a claim or review sample questions to help you consider what you should ask when submitting a questionnaire.
For a discussion of issues relating to the legislation and age discrimination, such as mandatory retirement ages, see Resources
These news stories relate to age and employment legislation and age discrimination cases.