In its November Workplace Snippets series, Acas highlight that over 20 million Britons will be over 65 within 30 years and therefore employers would be foolish to ignore this fastest-growing section of the workforce, particularly when recruiting, training, promoting and trying to retain staff.

Acas also point out that age is also a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010, meaning that it is generally unlawful to treat someone worse because of age in the workplace unless an employer can objectively justify it. Within this context, Acas, in partnership with the Age Research Centre at Coventry University, has developed an Age Audit tool.  The online tool is free, and will help employers: (i) assess what their employees think about age issues in their workplace and the organisations' approaches and policies; (ii) help address any risks or issues that could potentially lead to future discrimination claims; and (iii) create a firm foundation for policies, practices and future direction.

Using a traffic light colour-coding system, the tool enables users to highlight areas of greatest concern and prioritise any interventions that need to be made.

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