Age Discrimination Or Something Else

[BigRooster]

I’ve worked for the company I’m at for 17 years and most of that as a team leader in the same department. Even though the country is going through bad times the company is on the up so they have built a much bigger plant than the one I run to compete with all the extra orders .
I asked the question if I will be moving a cross to run new plant as the old one will be closing the answer I got back wasn’t very positive as they might use younger staff .
If this happens we’re do I stand I have a good record at work and wouldn’t have problems running new plant would they be able to drop my money or even make me redundant as it’s a new plant .

[woofgang]

The answer to that is "it depends"
https://www.gov.uk/redundancy-your-rights

[Buenchico]

If you think that you can PROVE that the company is deciding upon who to give the new job to on the grounds of age, then see the links under 'Further information' at the foot of this page:
https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/advice-and-guidance/age-discrimination

The Acas helpline can also provide advice:
https://www.acas.org.uk/contact

However getting recognition that you've been discriminated against and being able to do something about it are two very different things. When I was unemployed, I saw a vacancy advertised for a graduate where I thought that there was a near perfect match between my c.v. and the job requirements, so I sent off for the application form. When it arrived, however, I found that the word 'graduate' in the JobCentre ad had become 'recent graduate' in the printed details that accompanied the form. I complained to the
Equality and Human Rights Commission that the employer was, in effect, specifying that they wanted a young person for the job (as the vast majority of older graduates wouldn't meet the 'recent' requirement). The EHRC wrote back that, while they agreed with me in principle and that the employer shouldn't have included the word 'recent', they felt powerless to act formally because the employer could argue that some older graduates would be 'recent' ones.

To return to your actual question though, the employer wouldn't be able to drop your money without your agreement (or, rather, if they did, you'd be in a good position to claim for effective unfair dismissal). If they were able to show that the old lead role and the new one were two entirely different jobs though, they might quite possibly be in a position to make you redundant. (Use the Acas helpline for advice).

[BigRooster]

Thanks all very good answers and advice

[Chinajan]

// the answer I got back wasn’t very positive as they might use younger staff . //

Can you expand on that? Who said it? Was it said directly to you? Was it put in writing? What exactly was said? Is it a job where an upper age limit is allowed under employment law?

[BigRooster]

Chinjan the project manager who is getting the plant up and running said it to one of the younger supervisors from another department he was after younger staff to run it

[woofgang]

Did you hear this yourself or was it hearsay?

[Chinajan]

I see - sorry I crossposted and you've already had very helpful answers. My mantra at work has always been to get everything in writing - meetings involving you should be minuted for example, and you should get a copy of the minutes to approve. Join a Union now if you aren't already in one. Good luck.