Women’s group lauds anti-age discrimination law

Gabriela Women’s Party-list on Tuesday hailed the lapsing into law of a legislative measure which prohibits employers from putting age limits in their hiring process.

Rep. Emmi de Jesus,  one of the lawmakers who pushed for the passage of House Bill 3139 or An Act Prohibiting Age Discrimination in Employment, said that women workers are the ones most affected by age limitations in the workplace.

She also said that the measure can benefit both men and women as they will not be forced anymore to seek employment abroad.

“I urge the Department of Labor and Employment to involve and empower workers’ unions and women’s groups in making sure the Implementing Rules and Regulations to be drafted will ensure that RA10911 will be seriously enforced. Gabriela also urges private and government firms in being pro-active in making the law an organic part of their human resource policies,” De Jesus said.

Before the 16th session of Congress ended, the Senate adopted HB 3139. With former President Benigno Aquino III failing to sign the measure, it lapsed into law recently to become Republic Act 10911.

READ: Age to no longer be a factor in hiring under new law

RA 10911 prohibits employers from posting job wanted ads that would suggest a preference based on age. Other acts that are prohibited in the said law include the stating of of age or birth date in  the application process, rejecting an employment application due to an individual’s age, denying an employee’s promotion due to age, forcibly laying off a worker due to advanced age, and imposing early retirement on the basis of an employee’s age.

RA 10911 will take effect on August 16. JE/rga