Guide to the Age Discrimination Regulations 2006

Citation

Guth, J. (2007), "Guide to the Age Discrimination Regulations 2006", Managerial Law, Vol. 49 No. 5/6, pp. 272-272. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090550710841377

After a lengthy consultation period the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 were finally enacted on 1st October 2006 thus incorporating those parts of the EU Council Directive 2000/78/EC dealing with age discrimination into national law. John Sprack's timely Guide to the Age Discrimination Regulations 2006 is a well written and clear handbook which guides the reader through those regulations.

The chapters follow logically, firstly setting out what age discrimination actually is and then considering the scope of the protection offered by the regulations. Sprack goes on to consider possible justifications for discrimination based on age and deals with the exceptions provided for within the regulation as well as issues which can arise in recruitment, retirement and in relation to pension schemes. The last two chapters are devoted to enforcement and remedies.

Each chapter contains a number of practical examples, helpfully set apart in text boxes. These examples not only brighten up the text but they are presented in a way which illustrates the point being made very well and clarifies the use of the provision under discussion. The book also contains easy to follow diagrams illustrating, for example, claims for direct or indirect age discrimination. In this way Sprack manages to convey a vast amount of complex information in what amounts to about 140 pages (the rest being taken up by the appendices) without overburdening the reader or oversimplifying the complexities of the regulations.

Overall it is an easy to read and clearly structured book which would appeal to employers and employees as well as practitioners and students in this area who, I think, will find the diagrams and examples particularly helpful. Readers will find this text accessible and useful and it is strengthened by the inclusion of the full text of the Employment Equality (Age) Regulation 2006, Council Directive 2000/78/EC and ACAS Guidance for Employers on Age and the Workplace in the appendices. By including these, Sprack ensures that the reader has easy and immediate access to both the legislation and the advice published by ACAS and thus allows the reader to decide for themselves how much detail they really want at any given point. If there is a downside to this book it is that, from an academic point of view at least, the book could have been strengthened by including further references to a wider body of literature in this area. The target audience of employers, employees and employment law practitioners should however find this book practically relevant, easy to follow and very useful.