Age isn’t just a number.

Asking someone their age isn’t just particularly frowned upon, but something that can land you in some severely hot water.

That’s just what happened, where clubs in Britain have been advertising that dance classes are ‘not suitable for over 60s’,  and who could now face prosecution under equality laws.

Said club, was advertising salsa classes ‘not suitable for people over 60’ in a local paper, which assumes people over the age of 60 are not fighting fit and ready to get down to the Salsa!  Whatever their motive, this is a prime example of age discrimination and is unlawful as governed by the Human Rights. In a little over a year, the commission has received more than a hundred complaints that adverts were discriminatory, which is now under further investigation.

Scores of complaints about allegedly discriminatory advertisements reveal that many businesses are breaching laws designed to allow fair and open access to jobs and services – often without realising it. This isn’t just happening in Britain though, anyone advertising or tailoring their advertising and marketing (if not done correctly) could be breaking the law, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has warned.

Globally and more so locally, each state and territory has in place a series of short guides and checklists for those who publish advertising, marketing and communication materials. If you’re a business or establishment that serves alcohol, it’s assumed one’s team is already familiar with these.

These guides are in place to dispel confusion and misunderstanding of the law, something which shouldn’t be taken lightly. Tackling discrimination and ending confusion will not just help prevent businesses breaking the law – but it will create more opportunities to unlock talent and help drive any global economy.