Focus on potential, skills and ability
...not age
News
- UK employers win international award for best practice around workers over 50
- More workers requesting to work, not retire
- City of London Police choosing work over retirement
Events we are at
16-17 October 2008
Business Southwest
Exeter, Westpoint Arena
23 October 2008
Business Advice Open Day
Torquay, Riviera Centre
6 November 2008
Business Advice Open Day
Cardiff, Millennium Stadium
13 November 2008
Business Advice Open Day
Walsall, Banks's Stadium
19-20 November 2008
Business Northwest
Manchester, Manchester Central
Valuing Age in the Workplace
The age at which people choose to retire from work has increased over the last decade, and with life-expectancy rising, this ultimately means that not only will people live for longer; they'll work for longer too. In stark contrast, the number of younger workers coming into the labour market is dropping.
A workforce that is age diverse has real benefits for any organisation. Harnessing the skills, experience and enthusiasm of people of all ages creates a working environment that encourages cooperation and has the potential to contribute to business at every level.
Businesses are increasingly recognising the value of older workers as they bring skills, ideas and experience with them. This can benefit younger workers who also gain by working in an age diverse environment where all members have something to offer.
With many businesses facing skills shortages and tight labour markets it makes sense to recruit from the widest available talent pool, develop employees of all ages, and encourage older workers to stay within the business.
Employer Podcast
Our podcast discusses the business benefits of an ageing workforce and how the skills and experience of older workers can add value to the workplace. We hear the views of Rae Jones of Beacon Foods; Amanda Jones of the Co-operative Group; George Stevenson of Mathieson's Bakery and Dianah Worman from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
These organisations represent a growing number of employers with a positive attitude to the recruitment, training and retention of older workers - a great skills resource that ultimately benefits their business.
- Rae Jones of Beacon Foods (mp3, 2.1MB)
- Amanda Jones of the Co-operative Group (mp3, 3.2MB)
- George Stevenson of Mathieson's Bakery (mp3, 3.4MB)
- Dianah Worman from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (mp3, 5.2MB)
The podcast is also available to download as one file: Employer podcast (mp3, 14MB)
Retirement age? Who needs one!
There is no official retirement age in the UK.
Age regulations introduced a default retirement age of 65 but this is not mandatory. Employers do not need to set a retirement age at all.
With no requirement for a retirement age, many employers are taking advantage of this to keep experienced skilled workers.
Read about Flexible working
Real Life Case Study
"We have removed the contractual retirement age altogether. It simply doesn't make sense to retire an employee because of their age. All that should matter is competency to do the job. Job application forms have been re-designed so that date of birth is not visible to recruitment managers, and pay is assessed by focusing on the performance and contribution of staff, rather than how old they are."
Read the case studyFurther information and resources
The resource centre has information about age legislation, publications and external contacts.