UK Equality Commissioner headlines Coventry University conference

Equality and Human Rights Commissioner, Dr Jean Irvine OBE will lead a line-up of speakers at a conference in Coventry later this month which will discuss the effects of removing the default retirement age in the UK.

The ‘Life after the removal of the default retirement age: balancing generational employment’ conference, which is organised by the Age Research Centre at Coventry University and Acas, will look at the new workplace responsibilities needed to both comply with age discrimination legislation and increase employee engagement, regardless of their age.

The conference - taking place on Thursday 27th September at The TechnoCentre at the Coventry University Technology Park, from 9am to 3.15pm – will look at the practicalities of introducing workable policies seeking to address the issues caused by a changing age demographic, the removal of the default retirement age and the legal implications regarding employees of all ages.

Speakers at the conference are:

• Ed Sweeney - Acas Chairperson
• Pauline Hughes - Regional Employment Judge
• Dr Jean Irvine OBE – Commissioner from the Equality and Human Rights Commission
• Matthew Percival - Senior Policy Adviser, CBI
• Sarah Veale - Head of Equality and Employee Rights, TUC.

Delegates will also be introduced to the Age Audit Tool, which will help them assess the extent to which their organisation meets the legal and good practice needs of an age diverse workforce.

Dr Christine Broughan, co-director of the Age Research Centre, said:

In the future, age auditing will become vital as a barometer for organisations to test how 'age-friendly' they are and identify any areas where they can improve.

This conference will demonstrate to them the essentials they need to cover - from recruitment and selection, equality and diversity, to training and development and retirement planning.
For more information on the conference and to book a place, visit www.acas.org.uk/training

For further information please contact Sarah-Jane Dean, Communications Assistant, Coventry University, on +44 (0)24 7688 8245 or email sarah-jane.dean@coventry.ac.uk.