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Default Retirement Age information
Default Retirement Age to be phased out from April - October 2011
Government announce plans to remove the Default Retirement Age
On 29 July 2010 the Government announced its intention to phase out the Default Retirement Age (DRA) between April 2011 and October 2011, after which date it will not be possible to compulsorily retire employees.
Between 1 April 2011 and 1 October 2011, it will still be possible to compulsorily retire employees if the statutory notification process has been completed before 1 April 2011 and the due date of retirement falls before 1 October 2011. Please existing see ECU/UCEA guidance for further information on the existing arrangements.
The government are currently running a consultation on the detail of the transitory arrangements and support that employers will find helpful.
Implications for higher education institutions
The removal of the DRA will have far reaching implications for HEIs. Institutions will need to consider their retirement procedures and the support they provide for employees who wish to retire. Further, HEIs will want to consider what the implications of having no DRA will have on workforce planning and performance.
ECU, in collaboration with Oxford Brookes University and other sector partners will be running a project 'Flexible approaches to retirement' in late 2010 to support the sector meet some of the challenges that the removal of the DRA will bring.
Further information
ECU has published information on retirement in the following briefing: