Legal action for tech age discrimination

The equality watchdog is warning that staff should not be "cast aside on scrap heaps" if they are unable to keep pace with new technology, and threatening legal action against companies that discriminate against middle-aged workers.  

 

In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph the new chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Baroness Falkner of Margravine, said that the watchdog will make age and race areas its "strategic focus". She admitted that the body had previously been seen to have "got lost in ... rabbit holes that are quite esoteric", saying "Since we cover the entire population, we want to now demonstrate that we are the equality body for everyone." A "great concern" about potential age discrimination was the possibility that "middle-aged people who are not able to upskill as readily as younger people do, in terms of the technological changes". 

 

Setting out her fears about age discrimination, Lady Falkner said: "Our concern in looking at that area, is to ensure that middle-aged people are not discriminated against when companies are adapting [to] technological change. We think middle-aged women will be disproportionately affected." Lady Falkner said the body will consider legal action against big firms discriminating on the basis of age, in order to deter others from doing the same. The body could take one company to court to set an example to others, likening the potential move to landmark legal action against Uber over zero-hours contracts. A case could be brought "where a very large employer moves to new technology, but doesn't make reasonable accommodation or offer training opportunities to its existing workforce and therefore privileges people who have those skills or are more easily adapting to those skills".

 

E&K Solicitors

Rusholme