WORLD Policy Analysis Center

Are there retirement-related exceptions to prohibitions of age discrimination in terminations?

The term “age” includes broad references to ‘age’ and specific protections for minors, the elderly, or individuals above a certain age. For the purposes of this variable, the term “age” captures all of these definitions.

Terminations includes explicit legislative prohibitions against discriminatory terminations or dismissals from the workplace, or guarantees of continuance of employment.

No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations means that legislation does not take a specific approach to prohibiting age discrimination in terminations. This does not mean that legislation denies this guarantee. Legislation may generally prohibit discrimination in terminations for all workers or broadly prohibit age discrimination at work without explicitly addressing terminations.

Retirement-related exceptions include when legislation specifies that establishing an age for retirement is not considered discrimination or unfair dismissal, when age discrimination provisions do not apply to other laws or collective bargaining establishing a retirement age, and when there are provisions that enable employers to dismiss an employee at a specific age or at retirement age broadly.

Age discrimination prohibited in terminations means that legislation either extends: a) an explicit prohibition of discriminatory terminations on the basis of age, or b) extends a broad prohibition of workplace discrimination on the basis of age alongside a general prohibition of discriminatory termination to all workers.

Countries

Afghanistan - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Algeria - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Angola - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Argentina - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Bahrain - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Bangladesh - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Belarus - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Bhutan - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Bolivia - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Botswana - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Brunei - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Burkina Faso - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Burundi - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Cambodia - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Cameroon - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Cabo Verde - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Central African Republic - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

China - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Colombia - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Comoros - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Democratic Republic of the Congo - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Republic of the Congo - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Croatia - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Cuba - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Czech Republic - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Dominica - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Egypt - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Equatorial Guinea - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Eritrea - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Ethiopia - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Finland - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Gabon - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

The Gambia - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Ghana - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Greenland - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Guatemala - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Guinea-Bissau - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Haiti - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Honduras - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

India - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Indonesia - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Iran - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Jamaica - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Japan - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Jordan - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Kazakhstan - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Kenya - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Democratic People's Republic of Korea - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Kuwait - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Kyrgyzstan - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Laos - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Lebanon - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Lesotho - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Libya - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Liechtenstein - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Madagascar - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Malawi - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Malaysia - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Mali - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Marshall Islands - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Micronesia, Federated States of - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Monaco - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Mongolia - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Morocco - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Mozambique - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Myanmar - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Namibia - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Nauru - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Nepal - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Nicaragua - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Nigeria - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Oman - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Pakistan - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Palau - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Panama - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Papua New Guinea - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Paraguay - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Qatar - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Russian Federation - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Rwanda - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Samoa - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

San Marino - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Sao Tome and Principe - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Saudi Arabia - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Solomon Islands - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Somalia - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Sri Lanka - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

St. Kitts and Nevis - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

St. Vincent and the Grenadines - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Sudan - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Sweden - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Switzerland - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Syria - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Tajikistan - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Thailand - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Tonga - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Trinidad and Tobago - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Tunisia - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Uganda - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

United Arab Emirates - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Uruguay - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Vanuatu - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Venezuela - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Vietnam - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Yemen - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Zimbabwe - No age-specific prohibition of discrimination in terminations

Bahamas - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

Belize - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

Bosnia and Herzegovina - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

Bulgaria - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

Chad - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

Cote d'Ivoire - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

France - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

Germany - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

Grenada - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

Guinea - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

Guyana - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

Hungary - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

Iraq - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

Israel - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

Republic of Korea - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

Luxembourg - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

North Macedonia - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

Maldives - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

Malta - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

Mauritania - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

Mauritius - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

Moldova - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

Montenegro - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

Norway - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

Peru - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

Romania - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

Senegal - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

Serbia - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

Seychelles - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

Singapore - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

Slovakia - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

South Africa - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

Spain - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

St. Lucia - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

Suriname - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

Tanzania - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

Timor-Leste - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

Togo - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

United Kingdom - Retirement-related exceptions to prohibition of age discrimination in terminations

Albania - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Andorra - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Antigua and Barbuda - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Armenia - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Australia - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Austria - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Azerbaijan - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Barbados - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Belgium - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Benin - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Brazil - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Canada - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Chile - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Costa Rica - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Cyprus - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Denmark - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Djibouti - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Dominican Republic - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Ecuador - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

El Salvador - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Estonia - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Fiji - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Georgia - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Greece - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Iceland - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Ireland - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Italy - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Kiribati - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Latvia - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Liberia - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Lithuania - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Mexico - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

The Netherlands - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

New Zealand - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Niger - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

The Philippines - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Poland - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Portugal - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Sierra Leone - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Slovenia - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

South Sudan - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Eswatini - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Türkiye - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Turkmenistan - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Tuvalu - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Ukraine - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

United States of America - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Uzbekistan - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions

Zambia - Discrimination prohibited, no retirement-related exceptions