Age discrimination in hiring on the rise, says Unia

For NSZ, the problem lies in the system of paying employees according to length of service. “Companies would be only too happy to hire over-45s because they have experience, knowledge and expertise,” said chair Christine Mattheeuws. But employers are put off by the higher salary such candidates are entitled to, she said.

Unia, the federal anti-discrimination agency, has received an increasing number of complaints in recent months about discrimination against older candidates. Some potential employers have openly told applicants they are too old, even though such discrimination is illegal. Unia received 45 complaints in 2015; this year to date there have been 74.

Federal employment minister Kris Peeters suggested sanctions against employers that  discriminate. “Yes, we should be able to apply sanctions,” he said. “If we find out that older employees are being passed over because of their age, then I want us to be able to take action.”

At Unizo, meanwhile, director-general Karel Van Eetvelt counselled caution. “In very exceptional cases there’s the matter of age discrimination,” he said. “But please let’s not make a mountain out of a molehill.”

The cases reported by Unia represent “a very low number” compared to the rising employment rate among older workers, Van Eetvelt said. People over the age of 45 made up 44% of all new hires in 2015.

Photo: Ingimage