Age Legislation 2006

Key points:

  • Age Regulations are due to come into force 1 October 2006
  • Regulations cover employment and vocational training. This includes access to help and guidance, recruitment, promotion, development, termination, perks and pay
  • The regulations cover people of all ages, both old and young
  • All employers, providers of vocational training, trade unions, professional associations, employers organisations and trustees, and managers of occupational pensions schemes will have new obligations to consider
  • Goods, facilities and services are NOT included in these regulations
  • Upper age limits for unfair dismissal and redundancy will be removed
  • A national default retirement age of 65 will be introduced making compulsory retirement below age 65 unlawful (unless objectively justified). This will be reviewed in 2011
  • All employees will have the ‘right to request’ to work beyond the default age of 65 or any other retirement age set by the company and all employers will have a ‘duty to consider’ requests from employees to work beyond 65
  • Occupational pensions are covered by the regulations, as are employer contributions to personal pensions. However, the regulations generally allow pensions schemes to work as they do now
  • The regulations do not affect state pensions

  • Age Regulations are awaiting parliamentary clearance early 2006.

For further information: www.agepositive.gov.uk