Age Age is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act. Within the Act, an age group means a group of people defined by reference to their age or age range. People share the protected characteristic of age when they fall into the same age group. The implications are far-reaching for companies, and for the people they employ across the age scale. Recruiters can longer disqualify candidates for having “too much experience” and there’s no job which someone can be too young to accept if they fit the role – even if it’s being a 25-year-old CEO of a global brand. - In a survey we carried out among Milkround.com users and recruiters, the majority of respondents felt that the legislation was "a good thing". - 63% agreed with the statement, "there's no such thing as a career for life, and people should be able to switch careers without being penalised for having done something else before". - 94% of respondents relished the idea of working in teams of mixed ages, as opposed to teams of young graduates. - 66% of Employers welcomed the legislation and felt it was a positive development. Facts and Figures In 2008/09 two-fifths (41%) of students in the first year of their first undergraduate degree were 18 years and under. Almost the same number were 19-24-years-old (38%), 7% were aged 25-29 and the remainder (14%) were over 30. Older students (25 years and over) studying in the first year of their first degree made up a large proportion of those studying part-time (77%) compared to those under 25 (23%). One in 5 (21%) of UK domiciled entrants on full-time first degree courses, and 59 % on other full-time undergraduate courses were aged 21 and over. 58% of part-time first degree entrants were aged 30 or over. (EHRC Triennial Review 2010) Experiences of age discrimination are more common for younger groups, with under-25s at least twice as likely to have experienced it than other age groups. (DWP Attitudes to Age 2010/11) Useful Links Advisory Conciliation Arbitration Service (ACAS) Department for Work and Pensions Trade Union Congress http://homeoffice.gov.uk/equalities/ www.equalityhumanrights.com This information is provided by the Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion. To find out more about the enei, go to www.enei.org.uk.

Age

Age is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act. Within the Act, an age group means a group of people defined by reference to their age or age range. People share the protected characteristic of age when they fall into the same age group.

The implications are far-reaching for companies, and for the people they employ across the age scale. Recruiters can longer disqualify candidates for having “too much experience” and there’s no job which someone can be too young to accept if they fit the role – even if it’s being a 25-year-old CEO of a global brand.

- In a survey we carried out among Milkround.com users and recruiters, the majority of respondents felt that the legislation was "a good thing".

- 63% agreed with the statement, "there's no such thing as a career for life, and people should be able to switch careers without being penalised for having done something else before".

- 94% of respondents relished the idea of working in teams of mixed ages, as opposed to teams of young graduates.

- 66% of Employers welcomed the legislation and felt it was a positive development.

Facts and Figures
In 2008/09 two-fifths (41%) of students in the first year of their first undergraduate degree were 18 years and under. Almost the same number were 19-24-years-old (38%), 7% were aged 25-29 and the remainder (14%) were over 30.

Older students (25 years and over) studying in the first year of their first degree made up a large proportion of those studying part-time (77%) compared to those under 25 (23%). One in 5 (21%) of UK domiciled entrants on full-time first degree courses, and 59 % on other full-time undergraduate courses were aged 21 and over. 58% of part-time first degree entrants were aged 30 or over. (EHRC Triennial Review 2010)

Experiences of age discrimination are more common for younger groups, with under-25s at least twice as likely to have experienced it than other age groups. (DWP Attitudes to Age 2010/11)

Useful Links

Advisory Conciliation Arbitration Service (ACAS)
Department for Work and Pensions
Trade Union Congress
http://homeoffice.gov.uk/equalities/
www.equalityhumanrights.com

This information is provided by the Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion. To find out more about the enei, go to www.enei.org.uk.