Employment Tribunal Age Discrimination Claims
It is illegal for employers to discriminate against you because of your age. This applies to people of all ages and it applies to all parts of the employment process. This means that age discrimination is illegal throughout the recruitment process, in the terms and conditions of your employment, in your promotions opportunities, and in any training you are given. It is also illegal to discriminate on the grounds of age during dismissal procedures. If you suspect that you have been discriminated against because of how old you are, then you might be able to bring an age discrimination claim against your employer.
Age discrimination and redundancy
One area to watch out for in terms of age discrimination claims is redundancy. Older workers have reported feeling as though they were discriminated against, either directly or indirectly, when their employer was selecting people for redundancy. While most age discrimination takes place against older people (such as by forcing them to retire early), it also affects younger people. If a young person feels they have been discriminated against because of their age, it is also important that they take action because they could have a valid age discrimination claim.
Permitted age discrimination
There are, however, a few circumstances in which it is legal to discriminate on the grounds of age. For example, some jobs such as bar work or working in a gambling environment involve an age restriction of 18. There are other legitimate scenarios in which an employer might argue a need to enforce age restrictions, such as if they are employing people for physically demanding roles that requires a certain level of fitness. However, they need to be able to prove that they have no other alternative and that they are only discriminating due to age because of a legitimate business need.
This means that age discrimination claims can sometimes be complicated as they aren’t always clear cut. If you think you have a case, you should seek legal advice as an employment tribunal solicitor specializing in age discrimination claims will be able to give you more insight into your case and determine whether you have a valid claim that is worth taking to a tribunal.
Considering an Employment Tribunal Age Discrimination Claim?
If you think you may have been discriminated against at work due to your age and are thinking of an Employment Tribunal Claim, don’t delay – or you could risk losing your rights to compensation. You only have 3 months from any workplace incident to bring your claim.
Wherever you live in the UK, contact our specialist employment tribunal lawyers today.
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