Age Positive

The Age Positive campaign, from the Department for Work and Pensions in the UK, promotes the benefits of employing older workers.

It encourages employers to make decisions about recruitment, training and retention that do not discriminate against someone because of their age. Age Positive uses publications, research, press, events and awards initiatives to get the message across - and to help employers comply with legislation to outlaw age discrimination in employment.

Support is given to promote Good Practice standards, prepared by the Department for Work and Pensions, to help employers recognise the business benefits of an age-diverse workforce.

This is voluntary guidance to encourage employers to make decisions that do not discriminate against someone because of how old they are. The information covers good practice in six areas of employment. Each section contains guidance and indicators of success.

The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 came into force on 1 October 2006.

The regulations (which do not affect the age at which people can claim their state pension):

• ban age discrimination in terms of recruitment, promotion and training.
• ban unjustified retirement ages of below 65.
• remove the current age limit for unfair dismissal and redundancy rights.

They also introduce:

• a right for employees to request working beyond retirement age and a duty on employers to consider that request.
• a new requirement for employers to give at least six months notice to employees about their intended retirement date so that individuals can plan better for retirement, and be confident that "retirement" is not being used as cover for unfair dismissal.

Scope of Regulations

The Regulations apply to employment and vocational training. They prohibit unjustified direct and indirect age discrimination, and all harassment and victimisation on grounds of age, of people of any age, young or old.

As well as applying to retirement they:

• remove the upper age limit for unfair dismissal and redundancy rights, giving older workers the same rights to claim unfair dismissal or receive a redundancy payment as younger workers, unless there is a genuine retirement
• allow pay and non-pay benefits to continue which depend on length of service requirements of 5 years or less or which recognise and reward loyalty and experience and motivate staff
• remove the age limits for Statutory Sick Pay, Statutory Maternity Pay, Statutory Adoption Pay and Statutory Paternity Pay, so that the legislation for all four statutory payments applies in exactly the same way to all
• remove the lower and upper age limits in the statutory redundancy scheme, but leave the current age-banded system in place
• provide exemptions for many age-based rules in occupational pension schemes.

As well as engaging with employers nationwide, Age Positive works closely with the Job Centre Plus network, the LEP (Local Employer Partnership) initiative and other initiative within the Department for Work and Pensions; it also liaises closely with other cross-government agencies, Sector Skills Agencies and professional organisations and institutes across sectors - Institute of Directors (IOD), Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD); Road Haulage Association, ACAS, Business Links, Chambers of Commerce, The Employers Forum on age (EFA) and the Age and Employment Network (TAEN) to name a few.

It also has 153 employers signed up to being Age Positive Employer Champions - employers who do not discriminate on the basis of age in their recruitment, retention and retirement policies.