Time up for retirement?

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has stepped up its campaign to abolish the default retirement age.

New EHRC proposals include government-led incentives for employers to offer flexible working for all employees, and government funding for workplace training in age management and flexibility. The House of Lords is currently debating whether to include the default retirement age in the Equality Bill, which could fast-track its removal.

Currently, the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 allow employers to compulsorily retire workers at 65. The ruling in the high-profile “Heyday” case, last September, held the default retirement age to be lawful, although the judge, Mr Justice Blake, observed that there was a “compelling” argument for the age to be raised beyond 65. The government will review the default retirement age later this year.

An EHRC survey, Older workers: employment preferences, barriers and solutions, published this week, found 24% of men and 64% of women planned to keep working beyond the state pension age (currently 60 for women and 65 for men). Some 85% of people not working and over the state pension age say greater availability of part-time or flexible jobs would help them gain a job.

Baroness Margaret Prosser, deputy chairman of the EHRC, says: “Our research shows that to provide real opportunity to older workers, abolishing the default retirement age needs to be accompanied by a concerted drive by government, employers and agencies to meet the health, caring and work needs of the over-50s to enable them to remain in the workplace.”