High bar required to justify mandatory company retirement age evident in recent decision that sees WRC award 20,000 to machine operative forced to retire at 65

A recent WRC Decision demonstrates the difficulties faced by employers where they seek to enforce their mandatory retirement ages and the high bar that is required to objectively justify its legitimate aim. It also demonstrates the focus that a request for longer working brings to an organisation’s mandatory retirement age and the difficulties that arise where no objective justification is available to provide for a post-retirement fixed term contract as required by section 6(3)(c) of the Employment Equality Acts.