JDW recruitment policy wins recognition

JD Wetherspoon has become the first pub company to be recognised for employing a mixed age workforce by the Department for Work & Pensions.

The company has been awarded Age Positive Employer Champion status, which is designed to promote the benefits of employing people of all ages and tackle age discrimination in the workplace.

JDW employs more than 16,000 staff in a variety of jobs across its UK pubs.

The company's recruitment manager, Sarah Carter, said: 'This is a great accolade - especially as Wetherspoon's is the first company within the pub industry to achieve it.

'Part of the success of the company is due to being innovative and progressive and this is reflected in our recruitment process.

'Employing a diverse workforce of men and women of all ages benefits individual pubs and the company as a whole.

'We work very closely with Jobcentre Plus and actively encourage our pub managers to recruit staff primarily for skills and ability and not make age an issue.

'As a result of our success, we will be able to display the Age Positive Employer Champion Status logo on all of our recruitment material, which will highlight that Wetherspoon's is committed to tackling age discrimination within the workplace.'

Stephen Timms, minister for pension reform, said: 'The pub sector as a whole is often found to suffer from retention problems, so managers can only gain by opening up recruitment to people of different ages. It's about time that we 'called time' on age discrimination once and for all.'

For more information visit www.agepositive.gov.uk.