Employers fail to shape up for new discrimination laws

Nearly 80% of all employers do not provide company cars to older employees, if their insurance premiums increase at 65


This is the conclusion of a survey of over 1400 employers and advisers conducted by www.hrlaw.co.uk the online employment service by Independent City law firm, Fox Williams.

The hrlaw survey revealed that, whilst all respondents said that the level of salaries and provision of benefits to employees is not age related, 40% do not provide private health insurance benefits to older staff as their premiums increase.

Unless those employers change their policies beforehand, which only 20% of respondents to the survey have done or propose to do, they may be vulnerable under the forthcoming legislation.

Commenting on the findings Helen Monson, employment specialist at Fox Williams, says:

ìAccording to the Employerís Forum on Age, compensation for claims of age discrimination is expected to total 193m in the first year of the new regulations. HR departments and managers need to be aware that future age discrimination laws will cover workers and job applicants of all ages. All employers will be affected by the new laws since there is no small business exemption.

Higher driving insurance and private health insurance premiums may not be sufficient grounds to establish objective and reasonable justification leading a tribunal to find that there has been age discrimination where such benefits are removed for workers over 65.î