Forced retirement is the forgotten frontier

The recent case of a nurse who received €85,000 in compensation from the Workplace Relations Commission after being forced to retire at 66 is a timely warning that forcing employees to retire is discriminatory. So what can employers and employees do?

Forced retirement is discrimination under the Employment Equality Acts and is an egregious breach of employment rights. Picture: iStock

The Workplace Relations Commission ruled recently that a nursing home must pay €85,000 to a senior staff nurse for age-based discrimination, something which should act as a wake-up call to employers who enforce a similarly arbitrary retirement age. 

Forced retirement is discrimination under the Employment Equality Acts and is an egregious breach of employment rights. It has a material impact not only on the finances of older workers but also on their physical and mental health.