Employment law change ‘will protect over 60s from discrimination’

Posted 11/01/2010

Incoming changes to employment law will provide greater protection for older workers against discrimination in the jobs market, according to the government.

Harriet Harman, minister for women and equality, has expressed concern that too many UK employers are disregarding or undervaluing the potential contribution of workers once they reach the age of 60.

She told an Age UK-organised conference that older people represent “the last remaining group that society deems it acceptable to discriminate against”.

Moreover, the minister stated that this problem could be causing negative economic repercussions, stating that age discrimination costs the UK “up to £31 billion per year due to lost GDP”.

As a result, Ms Harman vowed that the incoming Equality Bill will attempt to remedy this trend and would be of benefit both to workers and employers.

This comes after older people’s charity Age Concern last month suggested that laying off over 50s workers could be contributing to a skills shortage in many areas of UK business.