Abstract
In 2011 mandatory retirement ages were abolished in the UK, constraining employers in their ability to retire off employees at fixed ages. Historically, UK employees have had few employment rights beyond age 65 and line managers often decided which workers could continue working (Vickerstaff, 2006). Thus far, there has been little research on the implementation and impact of this reform at an organisational level. This paper therefore presents findings from case study research in which workers, managers, trade unions and HR professionals were interviewed in four organisations. The findings show that the impact of these changes depended upon the organisational context. Furthermore, the reforms had a number of unintended consequences. This included one organisation ending a gradual retirement scheme, on the assumption that such schemes would now be legally indefensible. Policy-makers therefore need much greater awareness of the implementation of policies such as this at an organisational level.