Since the beginning of the month it has been illegal for employers to harass or victimise staff, directly or indirectly. on the ground of age.

Alan & Thomas, the insurance broker from Dorset, introduced the ban after lawyers advised them that comments about bus passes, old codgers and Viagra, even if intended as a joke, could cost them thousands of pounds in damages.

Under the new laws employees can sue their employers if they feel they have been harassed or victimised because of their age.

The 36 staff at Alan & Thomas regularly signed round-robin birthday cards for colleagues. Julian Boughton, the firm’s managing director, said that from now on the directors would send an appropriate card on behalf of the staff.

“The new rules outlawing age discrimination are a potential minefield for both employers and employees. This is a fairly emotive subject within the workplace because it could open up a can of worms for both employees and employers.

“Every business should be taking action to prevent discriminatory comments being written in cards because messages can so easily be misinterpreted. Often employees don’t realise the implications of what they are writing.

“For many years we have circulated a birthday card for signature by all staff to remember an individual member of staff’s birthday.

“Acting on legal advice, we no longer circulate cards around the office for everyone to sign. Instead we have decided that the company will send a card to each staff member on their birthday, signed by the directors.

“Of course we have not precluded employees giving birthday cards to each other individually and we certainly still encourage the practice of buying cakes.”

An employee at the firm, which has offices in Bournemouth and Gillingham, described the ban as stupid.

“People like to joke about other people getting older. It’s only a bit of fun,” he said.

“I think the firm is taking this new law a bit too far. I am quite young myself but I do not think I would mind people joking about my age when I get older.

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