Today, Monday 2 October 2006 is the first working day on which employers cannot discriminate against any employees on the grounds of age.
The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 actually came into effect yesterday, 1 October 2006, and they apply to every employer and worker in Great Britain.
Eversheds LLP (cleverly) attracted a load of media publicity last week, highlighting employers concerns about the specific requirements about the new laws. As is often the case, the fact that there are new regulations is well publicised, but the detail is hard to come by.
Actually, it's not that hard. Just harder than it should be in this day and age and you have to know where to look. It seems to me that a lot of law firms which really specialise in employment law have missed a bit of a trick here. You have to go an rummage round their websites for detailed analysis of what the implications of the Regulations might be. LloydLaw's favourite employment specialists, Parker & Co., who describe the introduction of age discrimination legislation as "one of the most significant changes to employment law for many years" have got their advice buried in an Employment Update dated June 2006. Good advice and all that, but hard to find.
Daniel Barnett, the well known employment barrister, has already produced his own guidance notes with a colleague - for £135 with free updates.
And then there's the detailed, and useful ACAS "Age and the Workplace" guidance, which will provide employers (and overburdened HR directors and managers) with the sort of helpful, straightforward advice that will assist them in understanding their rights and obligations. While employees (and on a personal note, I am both an employer and employee as far as the Regulations are concerned) are offered here.
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