Age Discrimination at work

How our age discrimination at work specialists can help

Growing older can be challenging, especially in the workplace if your colleagues or managers decide to treat you differently because of your age. Any person – no matter their age – should feel safe and respected at work, not the opposite.

What is age discrimination?

Age is classified as one of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010. Therefore it’s illegal to discriminate against you because of your age. If you’ve ever felt victimised, harassed or poorly treated at work due to your age, it’s likely you were facing age discrimination. The Equality Act 2010 states you mustn’t be discriminated against because of your age. It’s unlawful, and action should be taken accordingly. Call us now on 0808 164 0808 or request a call back.

The Equality Act 2010 has outlined four categories that distinguish this type of discrimination. You can find these age discrimination examples below:

Direct discrimination – if you ask for a pay rise and are told you are “too old” or “too young”, this would be classed as direct discrimination
Indirect discrimination – if a company is advertising a new role with a mandatory “5 years’ experience” in the description, this could put new graduates and younger professionals at a disadvantage
Harassment – if someone at your company makes jokes about your age, this could lead to harassment
Victimisation – if a colleague complains about age discrimination and you support them, passing you over for a promotion could be seen as victimisation

Age discrimination can also be split into three categories: unlawful; by association; by perception.

We understand the emotional impact this type of negative experience in the workplace can have on people. If you feel you’ve been discriminated against because of your age, we urge you to get in touch.

Call us free today to see how we can help you understand your options on 0808 164 0808, or request a call back if you’d like one of our no-win, no-fee experts to call you.

age discrimination at work frequently asked questions

What is unlawful discrimination? toggle accordion

Unlawful discrimination is when somebody directly discriminates against you because of your age.

What is discrimination by association? toggle accordion

This is when someone discriminates against you because of the age of someone you’re with.

What is discrimination by perception? toggle accordion

When someone discriminates against you because they think you belong to a certain age group.

What constitutes age discrimination at work? toggle accordion

In the workplace, it’s your employer’s responsibility to make employees of any age feel comfortable and ultimately, accepted. This includes promotion opportunities, training, and general workplace behaviour.

What can I do about age discrimination in the workplace? toggle accordion

If you feel as though you are a victim of age discrimination in the workplace, you may wish to raise it with your employer in the first instance. If you still aren’t provided with a resolution, you could file a grievance and seek legal advice. This can be a distressing situation, which is why it’s important that you receive appropriate guidance. Going to ACAS with your issue will start the ball rolling, as they’ll get in touch with your employer and try to achieve an “early conciliation”. If this is unsuccessful, our team of employment solicitors may be able to help talk you through your options should you wish to bring a claim.

Age Discrimination at Work legal services

Our approach to age discrimination claims

Working closely with you to understand what’s happened
Identifying the extent of the discrimination you’ve suffered
Doing what we can to achieve the best outcome for you

Funding your employment claim

A dispute with your employer can be stressful, and the last thing you want to be worried about is how to pay for the legal help and advice you need. We will help you get the best possible outcome in the most cost-effective way. Click below to find out more about the funding options available to you.

To learn more about funding your employment claim click here >

Our no win, no fee arrangement

We have a no win, no fee arrangement available, which is known as a Damage Based Agreement (DBA). A DBA is where the payment of our fees depends upon the success of the claim. This means that if the case is won or settlement terms are agreed, we would be paid by taking a percentage of the compensation that you are awarded. We are one of the only employment law firms in the UK to offer Damaged Based Agreements (DBAs) for all types of claimant employment cases.

Are there other fees?

Do you offer a fixed fee option?

Kind words from our clients

Age discrimination at work: understanding your rights

It’s important to get an understanding of your rights throughout each stage of your employment, from recruitment all the way through to retirement. This will enable you to identify age discrimination if it occurs and take the necessary action.

For example, your employment terms and conditions should be exactly the same as everybody else’s who works at your organisation. If these differ in any way relating to your age, this would be classified as discrimination. You’re also no longer expected to retire at 65 years. Now, you can choose when you wish to retire.

Note: there may be exceptional circumstances whereby an employer discriminates, but not unlawfully. For example, if a senior citizen applies for a role that involves a heavy amount of manual work, an employer may deny them the job due to physical limitations that come with age.

Our age discrimination at work experts are here to guide you

Neha Thethi

Head of Employment

Employment

Lucy Needham

Litigation Legal Assistant

Employment

Get in touch with our no win, no fee age discrimination at work solicitors today

If you need to talk to someone straight away you can call us for free on 0808 164 0808

Complete our form for a callback as soon as possible

Other discrimination at work claims we can help with

Disability discrimination → Gender reassignment discrimination → Pregnancy & maternity discrimination → Racial discrimination → Sex discrimination →

Disclaimer

In general you have three months less one day from the most recent act of discrimination or breach to take action, meaning you should act fast.

We recommend you speak to one of our lawyers in the first instance. As part of the process, you’ll need to get in touch with the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS), who will aim to achieve early conciliation with your employer. However, our lawyers can assist in this process where appropriate and we have formally been instructed.

Please be aware that the ACAS process can take up to around a month to complete, which will be taken from the three months you have to begin with. It’s important to act quickly in order to bring a tribunal claim. If the conciliation procedure is unsuccessful, we may be able to support you with the tribunal. If you feel you have a potential employment claim please act quickly and contact us today.