A survey by IRS Employment Review published earlier this week has found that two out of five companies have no formal policy on age diversity, even though a European directive making it unlawful to discriminate on grounds of age is to be implemented by 2006.

Forum Response: Association of Retired and Persons Over 50

Clive Burton, spokesman for ARP/O50, told ePolitix.com: "It is estimated that over a million people over the age of 50 both need and want to work, but as Monday's IRS Employment Review confirms, only two out of five companies are actively preparing for the introduction of the 2006 European directive.

"Age discrimination in the workplace operates on a broad scale and is indiscriminate in the people it affects, although the worst-hit demographic group is undoubtedly the over-50's.

"Despite protestations by the prime minister that 'everybody wants to get rid of age discrimination, the question is how to do it in a sensible way that does not impose undue burdens on employers', so there is to be a 'default' retirement age of 70 among other questionable measures contained in the 'Age Matters' consultation document.

"Little else has happened since Labour (in opposition) gave a written pledge to ARP/O50 in 1997 that action to combat age discrimination in the workplace would be a "priority" on gaining power.

"Leadership comes from the top and unless government and employers adopt a radical re-think about employment, re-training and redundancy criteria for older workers - and their younger counterparts - little progress will be made in finding a solution to a "problem" that was satisfactorily solved in America several decades ago.

"Age discrimination is estimated to cost the UK some £31 billion per year, and will continue to waste both money and valuable resources while government permits the introduction of legislation to be drawn out until the last possible moment: December (now, possibly, October) 2006."

Forum Response: Help the Aged

Keith Frost of Third Age Employment Network, partner organisation of Help the Aged, told ePolitix.com: "The IRS Employment Review report is important in again highlighting that a large proportion of employers still have no formal or informal policy on age diversity or age discrimination.

"The Third Age Employment Network (TAEN) suggests the report massively understates the extent of the issue because the survey was conducted with organisations and firms large enough to have separate, professional HR departments - but the majority of UK employers do not have them. Employers in smaller organisations deal with things on a 'needs must' basis.

"As the draft regulations are probably 6 months plus away and the legislation does not come into force until October 2006, many will feel they have plenty of time to prepare at some point in the future - assuming they know that legislation is being implemented in the first place.

"Even in larger organisations which do have formal Equal Opportunities/Age Diversity policies, there is strong evidence of problems with senior and line managers honouring them and putting them into practice. This is then compounded by not bothering to monitor and measure the effectiveness of those policies.

"Good as it is, the government's 'Age Positive' campaign is still not getting through to enough employers. The sensible ones are already using the Code of Practice and the Employers Forum on Age's 'One Step Ahead' tool kit to ensure they have 'age proofed' their businesses and are gaining the benefits employing an age diverse workforce brings - before they are compelled to do so by the regulations."