Age discrimination among young workers is still rife in the workplace, according to new research.

Despite the commonly held belief that young employees are filling the boots of the older generation, research conducted by Evershed's law firm shows that 60 per cent of 16-24 year olds feel unfairly treated in the workplace.

Overall, one in three employees said that they have been victims of age discrimination, with a higher proportion of younger employees feeling undervalued due to their lack of experience.

Legislation to combat the issue of age discrimination is being discussed by the Government, with employees very clear about what they want it to include.

Around 75 per cent of workers don’t want to see a compulsory retirement age; a measure that many employees believe would make it even more difficult for younger workers to progress.

Legislation to outlaw age discrimination is due to come into force in October 2006, with the intention of protecting all workers.

However, awareness among employers of what this new legislation will involve is worryingly low. Under half of UK workers are aware of its implications while 40 per cent of respondents could not say when it would be introduced.

Audrey Williams, partner and specialist in discrimination legislation at Evershed's, said: “Perhaps it is mot surprising that young people are feeling most victimised, as managers tend to understand age discrimination in terms of older workers.

“Currently business is not ready for this legislation and organisations will have a significant hill to climb to ensure that they don’t fall foul of the law when it comes into force.”

One example of this lack of understanding is that 70 per cent of HR professionals failed to understand that using the term ‘experienced’ in a recruitment advert could be seen as discriminatory towards younger applicants.

At present, only 18 per cent of businesses in the survey have an active ban on using age as a recruitment factor, a figure that must increase as legislation approaches.

Williams added, “Unfortunately, age is the poor relation to other areas of discrimination, such as gender and race.

“ It is not considered a taboo to call someone a ‘silly old woman’ or ‘young and foolish’ and while this attitude remains unchallenged in the workplace, employers should brace themselves for a significant number of discrimination claims when the laws are in place.”