Age is Focus of Attention in US and UK

Age is one dimension of diversity receiving a lot of attention on both sides of the Atlantic recently.  In July, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) held hearings on age discrimination.  EEOC's acting chairman Stuart Ishimaru noted that 25% of all EEOC charges include an age component.  Charges specifically related to the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) rose 29% last year.

One of the reasons for the increase in age discrimination claims is the increase in layoffs which may hit older workers especially hard.  At the July hearing, EEOC released Understanding Waivers of Discrimination Claims in Employee Severance Agreements, a document intended to help workers determine whether or not to sign a waiver of discrimination claims in exchange for a severance arrangement.

As part of its age strategy, the U.K. government announced this month it would conduct its review of the default retirement age earlier than planned.  This is the latest in a series of announcements following publication of the Government's plan, Building Britain's Future. It follows major reforms responding to demographic change, including the Turner Reforms to the pension system, a measure to outlaw age discrimination in the new Equality Bill, and the new Care and Support Green Paper published on 14^th July.