Diversity and Equality UK Ltd

Training and Development Modules

Workshop 3/4

The DDA and Age Discrimination – New requirements

Programme dates:
21 September 2006 (one day only)
12 October 2006 (one day only)

From October, new regulations (Employment Equality (Age) Regulations) will make it unlawful to discriminate against employees, job applicants and trainees because of their age. It will cover employment and vocational training and cover people of all ages
For example companies need to review their whole recruitment selection process now if they want to ensure that they are going to comply.

Common wording in recruitment advertisements may cause problems such as: asking for an applicant’s date of birth or other date-bound information which may reveal age; words and phrases such as “energetic, mature, dynamic, fresh, young, old, years of experience, youthful, new graduate” or any terminology that suggests making choices on the basis of age, or that may give the connotation that they intend to discriminate could be perceived as a contravention of the law.

The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 has been amended by the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 to place a duty on all public sector authorities to promote disability equality. This duty will have a significant impact on the way in which all public services are run and on improving the lives of disabled people. It is part of a new breed of legislation that will serve to ensure that all public bodies build disability equality into the way in which they carry out their business.

This new legislation means that public sector bodies will have a duty to promote disability equality in all aspects of their work – similar to the Race Relations Amendment Act. From the police to health services, schools, local authorities, NHS trusts, central government, the entire public sector will have a duty to promote the equalisation of opportunities for disabled people.

Objectives

Overview of the law and legal requirements – What is Age related discrimination; what is Disability discrimination.
Key aspects of the (Employment Equality (Age) Regulations and the Disability Discrimination Act 2005.
To raise awareness of the requirements and obligations which arise for employers and managers from the DDA and Age Discrimination legislation and eexploring existing practices which may contravene the law.
To consider other practical implications of these requirements on people management and the provision of services e.g. What is reasonable adjustment under the DDA?
Identify existing best practice and how to incorporate best practice in to your HR and Diversity policies and practice.
Building an open workplace culture to counter stereotypes and prejudices.

Business Service Planning
Gap Analysis
Action Planning

Outcomes

Participants:

Will improve their awareness of the legal obligations and how that impacts on organisations and managers.
Will learn from how cases have been managed and case studies to improve their ability to respond to similar problems and issues at their place of work.
Identify any possible gaps that exist in their current practice and requirements under the law.
Identify key priority areas for action and how to incorporate these areas into their business planning processes.