What is age discrimination?

The Equality Act 2010 is a powerful legal weapon against discrimination in all its many forms, including discrimination on the basis of your age. While it legislates to prevent unlawful age discrimination in every aspect of life – whether you're dealing with your mortgage provider or using public transport – one of the most common places you'll be subjected to age discrimination is in the workplace.

If you're an older employee, this may mean that you're passed over for promotion or unfairly selected for redundancy. If you're one of the youngest in your workplace, you may also experience age discrimination because you're considered to be too inexperienced. Age discrimination can also play a part in the recruitment process, with older workers in particular often left feeling that their proven experience and aptitude have been overlooked and that they weren't hired for an ideal job simply because they were over the age of 50.

If you believe you've been a victim of discrimination because of your age, particularly in the workplace or during the recruitment process, speak to one of our experienced employment solicitors today. Call us on 0330 041 5869 or contact us and we'll call you.

What can I do about age discrimination?

Despite the legislation preventing it, age discrimination is pervasive, in the course of everyday life and in the workplace. For example, when redundancies are in the offing, it's sometimes the case that older workers are automatically selected simply because they're closer to retirement age or because their longer period or service means they're among the higher earners.

Where you believe that your age has resulted in you being treated less favourably, you should speak to one of our experienced employment solicitors about challenging all discriminatory behaviour, particularly if it is affecting your chances of promotion, or the likelihood that you will be made redundant.

If this has happened to you, time is of the essence, because you only have three months, minus one day, from the date of the last discriminatory act in which to commence the early conciliation process with the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS). Early conciliation is a mandatory step before commencing a tribunal claim and gives ACAS a chance to establish whether your employer will agree to settle your case without the need for a tribunal claim. This takes up to a month at the end of which you will have at least a further month to prepare your tribunal claim. Where ACAS doesn't succeed in its conciliation attempts, we may then be able to file a claim at an Employment Tribunal on your behalf.

If you believe you've been unfairly discriminated against because of your age – whether you're young or old - speak to one of our experienced solicitors today. Call us on 0330 041 5869 or contact us and we'll call you.