Age bias victim to get £70,000

Mr McCoy was turned down for a job with a timber firm

A County Down man who experienced age discrimination has accepted £70,000 compensation.

Terence McCoy was turned down for two sales posts with Belfast timber firm James McGregor & Sons Ltd in 2006, when he was aged 58.

He took the case to an industrial tribunal with the help of the Equality Commission in January.

The tribunal said there was a link between the issue of age and the concept of "drive".

The tribunal's decision that he was the victim of age discrimination was the first in Northern Ireland since the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations were introduced.

The tribunal had scheduled a hearing on remedies in the case, but the parties agreed a settlement by which the firm will pay Mr McCoy £70,000 and agreed to liaise with the Equality Commission regarding their practices and procedures.

Mr McCoy, from Newtownards, was rejected for the posts after two interviews.

The tribunal drew an inference of discrimination from the use in the recruitment advertisement of the phrase "youthful enthusiasm".

Their conclusion was that "but for his age (Mr McCoy) would more probably than not have been selected for one of the two posts."

Mr McCoy said he was glad the case was over.

"I am relieved that this is now at an end, but I feel it is unfortunate that I was treated in such a way that it was necessary to take this action in the first place," he said.

Eileen Lavery of the Equality Commission said that the settlement emphasized for all employers that they must treat issues of age discrimination seriously.

"Decisions about recruitment, or any other matters in the workplace, should not be based on assumptions about the capacity or suitability of individuals just because of their age," she said.