A new report out yesterday (21 October) has found that many employers are happy to let people carry on working after the normal retirement age of 65, and would also like to see the back of compulsory retirement. However, they need much more support to not only get the best out of older workers, but to have the confidence to raise the issue in the first place. Concerns about causing offence and discrimination claims contribute to managerial reticence in relation to any kind of public pro-age recruitment policy or routine discussions with older workers as they approach retirement.
The research was undertaken jointly by the Institute for Employment Studies and the Policy Studies Institute and funded by the Nuffield Foundation. The report An ageing Workforce – The Employer’s Perspective explores the attitudes of employers towards older workers, the range of interventions in place to prevent early exit and facilitate continued employment. It was based on over 40 in-depth interviews undertaken in summer 2008 to draw out employers’ perspectives on age management and the associated problems and opportunities with directors, HR managers and line managers. A secondary analysis of the Workplace Employment Relations Survey (2004) was done to build up a picture of how age has been managed among UK employers.
Helen Barnes, principle research fellow at the IES and one of the report’s authors believes that employers and the government have no choice but to tackle the issue of older workers head on. She adds: ‘ With an ageing workforce, skills shortages and a pensions crisis, keeping older workers in employment is becoming a key priority for the UK. Work life balance options in the workplace are a great way of helping older people stay in work beyond retirement age, but for these to work the demand must come from the employers’ side. Staff often find it difficult to raise the issue with their managers or HR team. There are a number of ways to keep staff in work after retirement age, and employers should be aware of what works and what does not, to keep getting the best out of their workforce. ’
Other key findings from the research include:
- Formal pro-age recruitment policies and age management policies are more common in larger organisations. They are less likely in industries dominated by men and those organisations that tend to ‘recruit from within’.
- The absence of formal pro-age recruitment policies does not necessarily mean bad practice, however. Employers recognise the benefits of older workers.
- Some employers did express reservations around older workers, where they did not match their customer demographic or there was a heavy manual element to their work.
- Health is still largely regarded as a private, individual matter rather than a concern for employers beyond meeting specific health and safety regulations.
- Some employers simply do not have any experience of staff retiring, often because they have a small business or a new business with a young workforce. Larger employers were familiar with the retirement process and more often had policies in place to manage the process.
- Older workers in sectors with skills shortages are recognised as a valuable resource, and employers are keen to retain them.
The full report along with other useful research is available for download from www.employment-studies.co.uk