The WRC rejected a clerical officer’s age discrimination complaint over a promotion interview, finding that he had not established a prima facie case. Adjudication officer Roger McGrath dated the decision 4 September 2017.
The officer said interviewers asked how he would manage older and more experienced staff and that the interview notes referred to his age. The state body said candidates were asked the same core questions and that a panel member corrected the wording from “older” to “more experienced”.
The WRC found that the complainant himself first raised his age in the interview and that a panel member immediately corrected the reference to “older”. It found the questions were not inappropriate and the selection process was fair and transparent. Separately, McGrath urged the state body and other public bodies that require photographs from candidates to review the practice and consider another way to prevent impersonation.