Forties People

Worryingly, the survey by the Employers Forum on Age (EFA) and recruitment company Kelly Services also shows that 78 per cent believe the legislation will not change recruitment practices in their organisations, despite the fact that recruitment is one of the most obvious areas set to be affected.

While most of the 104 managers questioned in the Ageism in business survey 2003 were in favour of age discrimination legislation in principle, only a small minority (9 per cent) were fully aware of the Government's plans for introducing age legislation in 2006, and less than a fifth (18 per cent) knew about the main changes proposed.

The survey suggests that the business benefits of recruiting older staff are being understood, but reveals that many managers have negative perceptions of younger workers.

Sam Mercer, director of the EFA, said: "Employers need to face up to the challenge and ensure they recruit according to ability, not age."

The Government is set to outlaw age discrimination in employment by 2006.