This chapter explains the risks associated with age discrimination and how to accommodate ageing employees and ensure you don’t breach anti-discrimination laws.
Direct age discrimination occurs where an employee or prospective employee is treated less favourably than another would be treated in comparable circumstances on the grounds of age.
Indirect discrimination occurs when a policy or company practice that appears to be neutral actually results in a person with a particular attribute or from an identifiable group being unfairly disadvantaged.
You may discriminate against a person on the grounds of their age if that person is unable to carry out the inherent requirements of the position because of their age.
A large proportion of carers are mature-age people. Failure to recognise rights to carer’s leave or to accommodate carer responsibilities may lead to discrimination liability.