Age discrimination: Tribunal cases demonstrate what not to say to older applicants
Two successful employment tribunal claims show that careless age-related comments made to applicants during the recruitment process can raise inferences of age discrimination that can be impossible for employers to refute.
- Interviewer says "I've just noticed how old you are" to interviewee In James v Coedffranc Community Council, an employment tribunal upheld an unsuccessful job applicant's age discrimination claim after an interviewer said "I've just noticed how old you are" and jotted down older candidates' ages on interview notes.
- £3,155 for jobseeker told company was "looking for a younger person" In Matier v Spring & Airbrake Ireland Ltd, a Northern Ireland industrial tribunal awarded £3,155 for age discrimination to a jobseeker who was told that a prospective employer was "looking for a younger person".
