On 29 July the government announced its intention to abolish the default retirement age (DRA) as of October next year (2011).

Like any new piece of legislation the new Government's Health Care Agenda offers some interesting new propositions for those of us committed to creating a more equitable community.
Equality Works is very pleased to be partnering the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) in facilitating a series of free regional events to support Local Authorities and partners to improve their performance in the Equality Framework for Local Government.
In addition to the difficult economic circumstances, many of our clients have been describing to us the challenge of securing skilled and experienced Equality and Diversity practitioners who can deliver a challenging equality and diversity agenda within tight budget constraints.
The E&D role can be a complex one, and the practitioner needs to:
For many of you the main challenge will be finding the most creative ways possible to achieve efficiency savings and making difficult decisions, while at the same time maintaining customer support and retaining your most talented and productive staff!