This equipment was donated by Thompsons solicitors
Age Discrimination at Work: Reviewing the new Regulations
Thursday 9th November 2006
The Next Generation of Workers: The Age Regulations and Young
Workers
Raj Jethwa TUC Youth Policy Officer
Institute of Employment Rights Age Discrimination at Work 9th November 2006
Young workers
• Concentrated in certain sectors
• High rates of labour market turnover
• Low levels of unionisation
• Low understanding of employment rights
Institute of Employment Rights Age Discrimination at Work 9th November 2006
Institute of Employment Rights Age Discrimination at Work 9th November 2006
Employment by age and sector
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
A-B:
Agric
ultur
e &
fishin
g
C E:
Ene
rgy
&w
ater D:
Manu
fact
uring
F: C
onst
ruct
ion
G-H:
Dist
ribut
ion
hote
ls &
rest
aura
nts
I: Tra
nspo
rt &
comm
unica
tion
J-K:
Ban
king
finan
ce &
insur
ance
etc
L-N:
Pub
licad
min
educ
ation
&he
alth
O-Q:
Oth
erse
rvice
s
Percentage of total
percentage of all 16-25 yr olds
Changes in employment
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Age
G-H: Distribution hotels &restaurants
J-K: Banking finance &insurance etc
L-N: Public admin education &health
Recognising discrimination
Institute of Employment Rights Age Discrimination at Work 9th November 2006
•Young people experience work from an early age
•Poor behaviour becomes normalised
•Unaware of employment rights
•Less able to recognise mistreatment
Child employment
Institute of Employment Rights Age Discrimination at Work 9th November 2006
• 75 percent of 11-15 year olds work at some point
• 25 percent are under 13 years
• 30 per cent work for more than two hours a day (legal maximum)
• 10 percent work more than five hours a day
• 10 percent admit truanting to work
Children feeling too tired to do homework or school work
Institute of Employment Rights Age Discrimination at Work 9th November 2006
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
10-11 yrolds
12 yr olds 13 yr olds 14 yr olds 15-16 yrolds
Often/sometimes
Rarely
NMW - Adult rate
Institute of Employment Rights Age Discrimination at Work 9th November 2006
05
1015
2025
30
3540
45
All 16-18
19-21
Lower
Actual
Higher
What is the minimum wage for a 25 year old?
NMW - Development rate
Institute of Employment Rights Age Discrimination at Work 9th November 2006
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
All 16-18
19-21
Lower
Actual
Higher
•What is the minimum wage for 18-21 year olds?
Recruitment and selection
• Age can be euphemism for lack of experience, or vis versa
• Use of language in recruitment procedures
• Fear of promoting younger workers and offending older colleagues
Institute of Employment Rights Age Discrimination at Work 9th November 2006
Labour Market Turnover
Institute of Employment Rights Age Discrimination at Work 9th November 2006
05
101520253035
16-19 20-24 25-34 35-49 50-64(m)/50-59
(w)
Percentage of employees who changed job in last 12 months
Qualification levels and training
• School leavers are most likely to suffer age discrimination
• Employers reluctant to invest in training until workers shown commitment to firm
• More qualifications employees have, more likely they are to be offered training
Institute of Employment Rights Age Discrimination at Work 9th November 2006
Pensions provision
• Many young people excluded from occupational schemes
• Two-thirds of employees in wholesale and retail do not have an occupational pension.
• In hotels and restaurants, 90 percent do not have access to any form of occupational pension scheme.
Institute of Employment Rights Age Discrimination at Work 9th November 2006
Bullying
• Talking down to younger people• Doubting or belittling their activities• Resistant to advice from younger
colleagues• Resent abilities of younger workers• Unfair criticism• Instructing younger workers to carry out
menial tasks
Institute of Employment Rights Age Discrimination at Work 9th November 2006
Stereotyping young workers
• Less reliable and more likely to take time off
• Less committed and irresponsible
• Care more about their social life
Institute of Employment Rights Age Discrimination at Work 9th November 2006