Overview

A new legal exemption purporting to allow the withdrawal of insured benefits from older employees is proving less helpful than employers first thought.

The Government agreed to provide a legal exemption from age discrimination laws in respect of group risk insured benefits when the default retirement age was abolished.

But employers should not be lulled into a false sense of security by the exemption, as it is not as wide as might be assumed.  Employers should carefully review the drafting of clauses relating to insured benefits in their employment contracts to ensure they are able to take advantage of the exemption to its fullest extent.

Read Shoosmiths legal update to find out more on the implications for employers of an increasingly older workforce.