Sections of the new age discrimination legislation, due to come into force on October 1, will be delayed for two months, the Government announced today.
The delayed provisions relate to pensions requirements and will now come into force on December 1. The Government says this will give schemes more time to prepare for the changes.
Announcing the delay, Minister for Pensions Reform James Purnell said: “We have listened carefully to the concerns voiced by employers and decided to hold off on implementing the pensions aspects of the legislation to allow more time for the industry to get to grips with the changes.
“During the intervening time we shall be running an informal consultation in which we will investigate whether any amendments should be made to the current regulations.
“We are committed to making sure any new regulations concerning pensions contribute towards the overall goal of encouraging more people to provide for their future.”
The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 implement the age strand of the European Employment Directive 2000/78/EC. The Regulations outlaw unjustified age discrimination in employment and vocational training, including pay and pensions.
