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Student Assistant under the age of 25 had to accept a lower salary

By judgment of 17 June 2016, the Danish Supreme Court established that a provision in a collective agreement, pursuant to which an employer may reduce the pay supplement for student assistants, was not contrary to the Danish Anti-Discrimination Act's prohibition against age discrimination. The Supreme Court found that the age limit of 25 constituted direct discrimination due to age, but that the age limit was justified on legitimate grounds of easing the young student assistants' possibilities of obtaining employment during the studies. Consequently, the court gave judgment in favour of the employer, dismissing the student assistant's claims for compensation and payment of additional salary.