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CIPD and TUC team up to clarify age laws

By Sue Mennell (05-03-2007)
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Learning and Development News - CIPD and TUC team up to clarify age laws

 The conference will be chaired by broadcaster Joan Bakewell, and speakers include TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber, Commission for Equality and Human Rights Chair Trevor Phillips, and Robin Allen QC.

Since the introduction of regulations on age last October there has been much confusion about what is and isn't ageist.  So much so that the TUC and CIPD set up UK-wide focus groups to identify what abou the regulations was concerning employers and trades union representatives.  The focus groups identified fears including whether sending colleagues birthday cards could be seen as ageist, or whether graduate recruitment schemes would be unlawful.  The new guide is drawn up based on the findings of the focus groups.

Dianah Worman OBE, CIPD Diversity Adviser comments, 'The CIPD and TUC have joined forces to ensure that HR and trade unions are better informed about what good practice on age is. The guide will hopefully contribute to creating age diverse workforces that implements the new age regulations without falling into the trap of political correctness going overboard while meeting business needs.

'We hope the guide will reassure employers and blow misconceptions out of the water. The age regulations will fail if they result in unintended consequences. Employers should not think that graduate recruitment schemes and practices that reward loyalty are automatically unfairly discriminatory - it is making sure they are free from unfair age bias that is important. The guide reflects the business case for employing older workers and should give a boost to their recruitment and retention in the workplace.'

 

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