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Age before Beauty!

The South London Employment Tribunla has ruled in favour of a 42 year old bank employee claiming age discrimination against his ex-employers.

The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) is now facing a potentialy large payment after the ruling.

The employee in question held the position of Head of Marketing atr the bank and was made redundant as part of a wider redundancy programme in 2008. However, an internal memo for a new replacement marketing executive stipulated that the new individual shoule fit a "younger, entrepreunurial profile". This was even after the head of London HR described such language as being inappropriate.

The marketing executive who was eventually recruited was 38 years old.

The moral of the story?

Employers should take the above case as a warning when putting together job specifications regardless of whether the vacancy is to replace someone being made redundant. Especially as the payout for ag discrimination has no cap.

For more information on redundancy, discrimation or any other emploment law issue please contact either David Malamatenios or Sandra Martins in our employment department.

To see what issues we can help with visit our employment law section

Date: January 2010