Blog
HR in the news this week: Football, Retirement and Induction
25th September 2009
Arsene Wenger and Sven-Goran Eriksson open the door for a discussion on retirement and induction!
The High Court has today ruled that it is legal for UK employers to force workers to retire at the age of 65.
Even if they do not want to retire, in the UK, a worker can be required to end their employment at the age of 65 without any redundancy payment. A number of organisations (including Age Concern and Help the Aged) had taken their legal objections to the High Court, claiming that the compulsory retirement age goes against EU regulations. But today’s ruling of the High Court states that the Default Retirement Age of 65 introduced by the government in 2006 does comply with an EC Directive against age discrimination. The government has, however, announced that it will undertake a review of the compulsory retirement age during 2010.
Dry and dusty legal stuff? Or perhaps not. How about using as a discussion starter on this Arsene Wenger’s statement that he has no plans to retire from football as he approaches his 60th birthday later this month? “I don’t believe in retiring unless you have to,” he told a League Managers Association conference yesterday.
Arsene Wenger has no plans to retire at 60
And while we’re in a football frame of mind “Sven gets a red card for fouling up on induction” reinforces the importance of a decent induction programme regardless of what organisation you manage!