Executive called an ‘old fossil’ and sacked at 58 wins £3m payout

An executive at a FTSE 250 company has been awarded more than £3 million after his boss called him an “old fossil who doesn’t know how to manage millennials”.

The damages award to Glenn Cowie, who was 58 when he was sacked and replaced by a younger woman, is thought to be one of the largest granted at a UK employment tribunal.

His dismissal after 37 years working for the global engineering company Vesuvius followed concern over a policy that discouraged recruiting staff older than 45, the tribunal was told.

Cowie sued the company alleging it had an “institutional and deep prejudice against older employees” — and after a four-year legal battle he has now been awarded more than £3.17 million in damages for age