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ARTICLE · 12 OCTOBER 2009

Retirement Age - Time Is Ticking

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The High Court has handed down its decision in the Heyday appeal (the case brought by Age UK against the Government, challenging the default retirement age of 65). The High Court ruled that it is legal for UK employers to force employees to retire at age 65 - but only just.

United KingdomEmployment and HR
Christina Morton
Christina Morton
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The High Court has handed down its decision in the Heyday appeal (the case brought by Age UK against the Government, challenging the default retirement age of 65). The High Court ruled that it is legal for UK employers to force employees to retire at age 65 - but only just.

Two days before the Heyday trial, the Government announced that it would review the default retirement age of 65 in early 2010. The High Court said that if there had been no indication of this imminent review, or if the default retirement age had been adopted for the first time in 2009, it would have granted relief requiring the selection of age 65 to be reconsidered. The Court indicated strongly that it did not consider the selection of age 65 to be capable of objective and reasonable justification in today's climate.

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