Age is this year's issue but the real challenges still lie elsewhere

Three out of four UK employers see the introduction of a ban on age discrimination in the workplace as one of their priorities for the next 12 months, according to the annual IRS HR Prospects survey.

With the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations now due to come into force on 1 October 2006, the issue has leapt from nowhere in last year's study to become the number one priority facing HR practitioners.