Megan Thomas of Surrey was not even born when the Specials hit the top of the charts with “Too much too young” in the early eighties.  However Ms Thomas, 20, is reported to have become the first person to win a discrimination claim after being told that she was too young for her job.

Ms Thomas claimed that, six months into her job as membership secretary for an exclusive London Club, her manager told her that “she was too young and if he had met her a few years later there may not have been a problem”.  The Employment Tribunal upheld Ms Morgan’s claim of age discrimination (although her employer did not attend the hearing to argue the case).

Given that the issues and evidence were not fully tested before the Employment Tribunal, this case has little legal signifiance.  However it has been widely reported in the press and has raised awareness of the age discrimination legislation, and in particular the fact that it protects younger workers.

Employer’s should therefore ensure they base any decisions on justifiable criteria, for example the skills and experience necessary for the job, rather than age, or stereotypical assumptions based on age.

Posted: November 23rd, 2007 under Employment/HR.
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