Originally Posted by
Tandemrotor
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Purely as an example, two of many such justifications (currently) accepted in law are, inter-generational fairness, and preservation of dignity. Don’t shoot the messenger. I’m merely explaining that is the law as it stands today.
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Interesting concepts:
'inter-generational fairness' - you young guys are going to have to work longer yourselves one day (just a fact that working lives are being extended) so start getting used to it now and be fair to those being discriminated against by age right now by abolishing a compulsory retirement age now;
'preservation of dignity' - when the general population is being told that they are expected to work longer it is bloody undignified to be told that you must stop work early because you are perceived to have become a more unreliable old codger at an earlier age than the rest of the population.
Originally Posted by
Tandemrotor
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On a slightly different topic. It is crystal clear that seniority systems are most definitely ‘de-facto’ indirect discrimination on the basis of age. I don’t see any OJs that would allow that form of discrimination. Seniority systems survive in some places, only because (bizarrely?) nobody in such a system has yet tested the law.
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One aspect of a 'seniority system' - last-in-first-out - is already illegal in British law. I don't think that any modern airlines use seniority systems.