Almost Half of European Workers Believe Their Organisations Discriminate Against Older Workers

ñSpanish and German Workers Feel Older Workers are Discriminated Against

ñ Norwegians Most Balanced Towards Age

Europe is anxiously awaiting the introduction of The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 in the UK. The regulations will ban age discrimination relating to recruitment, promotion and training; ban unjustified retirement ages of below 65 and remove the current age limit for unfair dismissal and redundancy rights. While these new laws will only apply to the UK, their introduction will be watched closely by other European nations.

Which country leads the way when it comes to a balanced view on age, and what country is most likely to discriminate against younger workers? According to the results of a recent poll by Monster, Norwegians lead the way in terms of a balanced view, and Germans observed the highest percentage of discrimination against older workers when looking for new recruits.

The Monster Meter poll asked 8,277 European workers ìDo you feel your company is ageist when it comes to employing new recruits?î The survey revealed:

46% (3825 votes) Yes, they discriminate mainly against older
14% (1161 votes) Yes, they discriminate mainly against younger
16% (1344 votes) Yes, they discriminate against both older and younger
24% (1947 votes) No, the company seems to have a balanced view on age

The poll revealed that while 46% of workers across Europe believe their organisations discriminate against older workers when it comes to looking for new recruits, 24% of workers feel their organisation takes a balanced approach. Mature German and Spanish workers appear most likely to be discriminated against, with 59% and 54% of those polled respectively citing that their organisation is biased against older recruits. In contrast, only 22% of Belgians polled and 35% of French respondents answered that their company has a similar attitude.

ìThe issue of age discrimination is a hot topic within the recruitment world,î comments Alan Townsend, COO for Monster UK and Ireland. ìFrom the initial job posting right through to the HR handbook, organisations must be mindful that they are not discriminating against any potential recruits based on their age. Having a workforce that is age diverse is an indicator of good practice within a company. Furthermore, as we head towards the íknowledge economyí the more experienced employee brings a superior level of understanding and a richer skill set - which benefits the company as a whole.î

An inclusive approach of recruiting across a wide range of age groups appears most prevalent in Norway, with 41% polled stating that their company has a balanced view towards the ages of their recruits. This is closely followed by Danish workers with 40%, Irish workers on 35% and Belgians on 33%.

Perhaps surprisingly, only 14% of those polled stated that their company discriminates against younger potential recruits. Young jobseekers in Belgium look set to face the toughest challenge in getting past age prejudice, 32% of Belgians responded that their organisation discriminates against younger workers, followed by 24% of Luxembourg workers polled.

ìFrom 1 October 2006, it will be unlawful for UK employers to discriminate on grounds of age with regard to any aspect of the recruitment process, including discrimination in the arrangements the employer makes for offering employment, the terms on which employment is offered or by refusing to offer employment to an individual, said Lee Gabbie, Employment Lawyer, Bracher Rawlins. ìEmployers will have to objectively justify a requirement for a certain length of experience and will even have to consider applicants who are over-qualified for a position but may be prepared to accept a cut in pay or a job of lesser status. Assumptions about a personís suitability for a job based on his or her age can quite simply no longer be made.î

The results of the current Monster Meter are based on votes cast by Monster.com visitors from 7th August to 3rd September. Only one vote per user is counted toward the final tabulation. The Monster Meter, a product of Monster, the leading global online careers site and flagship brand of Monster Worldwide, Inc., is a series of online polls that gauge usersí opinions on a variety of topics relating to careers, the economy and the workplace. Anyone interested in voting in Monsterís current online poll may do so by logging onto www.monster.co.uk