Focus on potential, skills and ability
...not age
Related Information
In this section
- Recruitment
- Employee benefits and pay
- Training and development
- Flexible working
- Redundancy
- Retirement
- Workforce management
- Health and safety
"Older people tend to provide a balanced framework for team working. Since focusing on developing all our staff,
absences have dropped, attendance is more stable and we have a lower turnover of staff."
Phil Evans,
Human Resources Manager,
Rachel's Organic Dairy
Good Practice
Workforce management
There is a myth about so-called 'job blocking'. Some employers assume there is a need to remove older workers to make way for younger workers. However, other employers believe this approach is damaging to productivity as it fails to maximise skills and experience and increases staff turnover and costly recruitment and training.
By using flexible working options instead of imposing compulsory retirement, employers can reduce capacity without losing valuable workers and their expertise.
Employers who monitor the age profile of their workforce find this not only helps with retirement planning but can disclose any bias and highlight the diversity of age within the organisation.
By 2020 there will be nearly 5 million more people aged 50 and over in the UK. Many employers are already taking a more positive approach to the recruitment and retention of older workers, and utilising this valuable resource to gain a competitive edge.
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