Retirement

Zuraida Curtis Editor's message: Since the abolition of the default retirement age, most employees are free to retire when they choose. Where a compulsory retirement age is necessary, you must be able to demonstrate that your organisation’s retirement age is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.

With an ageing workforce in the UK, employers may be faced with more employees continuing to work for financial reasons. However, you need to balance valuing experience and maintaining productivity against employees becoming a financial burden and blocking opportunities for younger staff.

Some employers assist the transition to retirement by offering flexible hours and increasing wellbeing benefits. However, you should avoid making stereotypical assumptions about older workers’ abilities, performance or future intention to reduce their hours.

Zuraida Curtis, senior legal editor, employment law and compliance

New and updated

Type:

FAQs

What should an employer do if an older employee requests to change their working pattern in preparation for retirement?

Updated to reflect changes to the right to request flexible working in place from 6 April 2024, including a requirement to consult with the employee.
Type:

International

Global retirement and pensionable age comparative table

This comparative table focuses on the retirement and pensionable age for 34 different countries.
Date:

11 May 2023

Type:

Podcasts and webinars

Podcast: Age discrimination - tips, traps and Tribunal cases

Age discrimination can be a tricky area for employers. In this edition of the podcast, Susie Munro, Senior Legal Editor at XpertHR, leads us on a tour of recent cases that offer examples of how things can go wrong if they are mishandled and provides some tips on avoiding typical age-related traps.
Date:

26 August 2022

Type:

Employment law cases

Age discrimination: Employment tribunal round-up

We look at three employment tribunal cases in which employers were held to have discriminated against employees because their age was a factor in their dismissal.
Type:

Policies and procedures

Retirement policy (compulsory retirement age)

A model policy to set out your organisation's approach to dealing with retirement where a compulsory retirement age applies to all employees (or certain groups of employees).
Date:

25 January 2022

Type:

Podcasts and webinars

Podcast: Key 2022 employment cases

We highlight key cases due to be decided in 2022 and discuss their impact on HR. These include cases on: vicarious liability, holiday pay, agency workers, compulsory retirement ages, and coronavirus-related health and safety cases. We will also be reflecting on the key decisions from last year and look forward to the case law trends likely to emerge this year.
Date:

6 June 2019

Type:

Employment law cases

Age discrimination: Oxford University justifies compulsory retirement age for academics

In Pitcher v Chancellor, Masters and Scholars of the University of Oxford and another, an employment tribunal held that Oxford University's "employer-justified retirement age" for academics is a proportionate means of achieving its legitimate aims.
Type:

Policies and procedures

Retirement policy (no compulsory retirement age)

A model retirement policy to set out your organisation's approach to dealing with retirement where there is no compulsory retirement age.
Type:

Contract clauses

Retirement contract clause

A model clause in contracts of employment where the employer intends the employee to be subject to a compulsory retirement age.
Type:

Letters and forms

Form for employee to give notice to retire

A model form for an employee to give notice to retire.

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Topics

Retirement

New and updated

What should an employer do if an older employee requests to change their working pattern in preparation for retirement?

Global retirement and pensionable age comparative table

Podcast: Age discrimination - tips, traps and Tribunal cases

Age discrimination: Employment tribunal round-up

Retirement policy (compulsory retirement age)

Podcast: Key 2022 employment cases

Age discrimination: Oxford University justifies compulsory retirement age for academics

Retirement policy (no compulsory retirement age)

Retirement contract clause

Form for employee to give notice to retire

About this topic

Retirement: key resources

Employment law guide: Retirement

Retirement policy (no compulsory retirement age)

How to work without a compulsory retirement age

Retirement - line manager training

Can employers operate a compulsory retirement age?

If an employer does not retain a compulsory retirement age, can it retire employees if this is justified on a case-by-case basis?