Court rulings allow bosses to set blanket retirement ages for staff

New court cases have brought clarity around the employer's right to set a contractual retirement age where it can be objectively justified, as legal expert Síobhra Rush of law firm Lewis Silkin explains 

Síobhra Rush, partner and head of the Dublin Office with law firm Lewis Silkin Ireland.

The issue of retirement is one which comes up regularly for employers and has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years, particularly in cases before the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) and the Labour Court. 

Age discrimination claims in the WRC increase year on year as the workforce ages. Many employers still set a contractual retirement age, as is permitted under Irish employment equality legislation, where it can be objectively justified.