Attempts have failed to outlaw the U.K. government-set default retirement age of 65 years, marking the end of a three-year legal tussle. However, because of skills shortages, the High Court’s September decision allowing compulsory retirement to continue will have little impact on construction, claims an industry official.
About 250 pending legal claims against compulsory retirement will now terminate, according to the London-based law firm Pinsent Masons LLP. The court ruling “is good news for employers,” says Jon Coley, a partner. “But...the government has brought forward the review of the [default retirement age, or DRA,] and the smart money is on it extending the DRA or removing it completely.”