Nearly three-quarters of HR workers admit that their organisation is guilty of age discrimination, a survey has revealed.
Some 74% of respondents in a poll by Thomas Eggar admit that their business either consciously or unconsciously discriminates on the basis of age, which the law firm has warned spells imminent trouble with age discrimination legislation due to come into force in October.
The anonymous survey, conducted across a range of businesses, shows a pervasive lack of knowledge of the new laws and their implications, Thomas Eggar said.
Just 14% of respondents feel their management team is informed of age discrimination issues, dropping to 7% when asked whether they are aware of specifics in the upcoming bill.
Less than half have done nothing to prepare their business for the legislation, and only 7% say they are confident that internal procedures will ensure their company is in compliance.
“This is one of the most talked about pieces of employment legislation in recent years, so it is worrying to see that the regulations are not being taken seriously,” said Nicola Brown, associate at Thomas Eggar.
“Our survey shows that almost half of respondents felt the new laws would not, in reality, make any difference to their working practices.
“I am surprised at this approach, as…the regulations are going to have a dramatic effect on the recruitment processes of most employers.”
Brown added that the inactivity can partly be explained by the fact that just 11% feel they have been given enough practical information about the impact of the new laws.