Age Discrimination - An Overview

If anyone is treated differently because of what age this is classed as age discrimination. Age Discrimination also referred to as Ageism, is a type of stereotyping or prejudice that comes from preconceived ideas and beliefs about what people of certain ages are capable of.This type of discrimination based on age is often cited as one of the most commonly reported forms of discrimination in the workplace.

The most regular example is when opportunities for extra training or promotion are denied to employees because they are perceived as being the wrong age. However, since the Employment Equality regulations were introduced in 2006 it has been illegal to discriminate against anyone in the context of employment, education and training on the basis of their age. There are four specific types of age discrimination that have been outlawed by this Act. Direct age discrimination is actively treating someone in a different way to how you would treat another person who is in the same position on the basis of their age. Indirect age discrimination is when an employer implements a rule that on the surface seems to be egalitarian in nature, but when examined works to exclude or prejudice against certain age groups. Arbitrary fitness tests or employers asking for loads of experience for entry level, unskilled jobs to avoid applications by young people are examples of this. Harassment is a sustained culture of bullying, offensive or intimidating behaviour towards certain age groups and victimisation is the continued discrimination of an individual even after they have formally complained about such behaviour.

These four types of discriminatory behaviour are explicitly unlawful under the 2006 equality regulations because they can be severely damaging, not just to young or old people's confidence but also to their financial, emotional and psychological help. No one wants to feel like a burden or that they are not in control of their own destinies. It is in this spirit that the regulations outlaw and employer not hiring, dismissing or giving adverse terms of employment to a person because of their age. Employers can not refuse to provide a person with training or retire a person before the age of sixty five. If the elderly person exercise his right to choose and decides that they want to continue working past sixty five then the employer is legally bound to consider their request.

Being young or old should never allow for discrimination in the workplace or anywhere else and it is with legislation like the 2006 regulations that we will ensure that ageism is fought against and that young and old people are given the right to make choices about their lives.

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