The Recruitment and Employment Confederation has found that employers are still not facing up to the new age discrimination legislation, despite it becoming law in less than a month.

It found that 76% of its members said that their clients had not sought guidance from them on the new law which comes into force on October 1.

Another 79% said that employers were aware of the law, but had not taken any action towards it. A further 66% of members said they had even been asked to discriminate on the grounds of age by their clients.

“Our advice to employers is simple,” says Marcia Roberts, the REC’s acting chief executive. “Save yourself the time and expense of facing a tribunal by seeking advice from professionals who can recruit in accordance with the new regulations.”