The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006
When the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 come into effect on 1 October, it will be unlawful for employers to discriminate directly or indirectly on any aspect of employment or benefits, based on actual or apparent age. As an adviser, it is vital you understand the regulations and their impact on your corporate clients. To help you achieve this, we have provided the information you need, to help guide your clients and ensure they comply before the October deadline.
For example, if your clients have group income protection or group life arrangements, you may need to change their selected terminal age from 60 to 65. What's more, if they are currently offering age-related employee benefits, you could help review and, if necessary, amend them.
Whatever your clients' circumstances, these complex regulations may affect many aspects of their businesses, so you should recommend that they seek legal advice. Throughout, it is important that you, your clients and their employment lawyers stay in close contact, ensuring all parties agree to any changes. Naturally, working alongside your clients will provide you with the perfect opportunity to review their financial arrangements and build lasting professional relationships.
Further information on this subject can be found in our Age Discrimination Literature section.
We have also included links to external sources of information regarding the regulations:
Office of Public Sector Information – The Regulations
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2006/draft/ukdsi_0110742664_en.pdf
The Department of Trade and Industry - Notes on the Regulations
http://www.dti.gov.uk/files/file27136.pdf
Acas – Guidance for Employers
http://www.acas.org.uk/media/pdf/d/t/6683_Age_and_the_Workplace_AWK.pdf
The Department of Trade and Industry - The impact of Age Regulations on pension schemes
http://www.dti.gov.uk/employment/discrimination/age-discrimination/index.html