Age Discrimination Legislation

Case Study - B&Q

B&Q is one of the most successful home-improvement retailers in the UK, attracting three million customers each week.

There is no fixed retirement age for B&Q employees, and all employees are entitled to phased or partial retirement.

The chain takes pride in the flexibility that is applied to job roles and working arrangements. Like any business, B&Q has to consider the business case for any changes to the way it works. Phasing out retirement and actively recruiting a workforce of different ages has produced a number of benefits, including:

• higher productivity;
• reduced absences;
• a reduced staff turnover; and
• an increased business turnover.