Analysis of the Office for National Statistics’ October labour market figures (2022) found that there are now almost 14.6 million economically inactive people aged 50 and over – a record level. This is an increase of 1% compared with 2021 and up 5% since 2019. A shocking increase which reverses a decades-long trend of employment growth amongst this demographic and highlights the long-term scarring of the pandemic on this portion of the workforce.

A recent ONS study found that 42% of people aged 50 to 65 not currently in work would return to employment or self-employment in future, but 67% wanted to return to part-time work. Asked about what was important to them when looking for work:

• 69% said location,
• 67% wanted flexible working opportunities,
• 21% said good pay was key,
• 13% wanted a job that fits around caring responsibilities.

Some sectors have a track record of recruiting people 50 years and older but it is an alien mindset to many UK employers — who are alert to the need to forge better career paths for women and staff from minority groups, while often neglecting the needs of older employees and overlooking older candidates when recruiting.

A November 2022 poll by UK professional body the Chartered Management Institute found that just 4 in 10 managers were open to employing those aged between 50 and 64 to a “large or moderate” extent. Some put it more bluntly. “Post-pandemic, one agency was honest enough to say they ‘would not touch someone over 60 with a barge pole’.”

This prejudice is backfiring badly. An exodus of older people from the workforce — just as UK employers lost access to the EU labour market — is a key factor in labour shortages that have been plaguing businesses in sectors ranging from logistics to hospitality, care and IT.

Employers need to revisit their attitudes. Growing numbers are doing just that with age becoming a new focus rather than an overlooked corner of the diversity and inclusion agenda. The onus is therefore placed on employers not just to become more open-minded about whom they hire, but to make jobs more appealing to older workers — by considering the following:

• more flexible about working hours, since many are juggling work with:
o caring for parents,
o looking after grandchildren, or
o managing health conditions of their own which may mean they are only able to take on part-time hours or need flexibility as to when they work;

• more supportive for those with health conditions, including those with mental health issues, and women going through menopause, who can otherwise fall out of work just as their careers are peaking;

• open to discussing training and career progression – all too often older workers are overlooked for training and promotion by line managers who assume they are no longer looking to take on new responsibilities;

• open to simply making workplaces more inclusive for those whose motivation to work is as much about social interaction as salary;

• able to blur the boundaries between full-time work and retirement — for example, by allowing employees to reduce their hours and start drawing on pension pots in a graduated way or by using former employees in consulting roles after they have retired.

Why employers may benefit from employing older workers

• Their expertise and experience can boost productivity, in part by supporting younger colleagues;

• Older employees are no more likely than younger workers to take time off for illness;

• Older workers also tend to stay in jobs for longer, reducing employee turnover and related costs;

• Work is good for physical and mental health, stress at work can be detrimental but the stress of not having work, of not having a purpose, can be worse;

• Financial health is improved by continuing to work even part time while saving into a pension rather than taking pension income early and thus having positive impacts on mental health.

Some employers have made progress in attracting, retaining and supporting older workers, but there is a long way to go. Almost two-thirds (62%) of workers aged 55 and over say they have been overlooked for promotion and suffered from a lack of training and progression opportunities, according to recent research.

The most important step

The broadest, but arguably most important step an employer can take to become more age-friendly is to instil “a culture which rejects ageism.” This starts with age-neutral recruitment as follows:

• Remove a blanket requirement for all recruits to have university degrees, as this is more likely to exclude people aged 50 and older who are less likely to have had the opportunity to attend university.

• Word recruitment campaigns and advertising using age-neutral language.

Summary

All employers will find it increasingly difficult to fill vacancies unless they can attract more older workers and it is the actions of individual employers that will make the most difference. If you are an age-friendly employer, these practices – flexibility, support for health needs, access to training – will benefit everyone.

For any further advice please contact nicola.goodridge@goodhr.co.uk or call +44 7917 878384

This week, a two-day train strike will cause more travel disruption for millions of employees across the country. With no end in sight to the strikes it means those reliant on trains for their commute are unlikely to make it into work. It will also have a huge impact on the roads as commuters take to their cars in a bid to get to work.

What if employees are unable to travel to work?

* Employers should try and accommodate all reasonable requests by employees who are making their best efforts to come into work during strikes, including allowing staff to come in late or leave early, and where necessary funding overnight accommodation.

* Don’t unreasonably discipline employees who are genuinely unable to make it to work or who are late. There are no legal requirements about what businesses must do, but thinking outside the box will be a key consideration for critical staff in certain industries.

* Have a clear policy for dealing with travel disruptions if working from home is not an option. Any policy must make it clear that employees will not be paid if they are not able to get to work and the steps that employees are required to take when faced with travel disruption.

Employers are urged to speak with staff and agree alternative arrangements as follows:

• they work longer hours in the office the day before the strike to make up for lack of working hours the following day;
• you enforce holiday for the strike days – but you must give two days’ notice to enforce one day of holiday;
• they take it as unpaid;
• they use accrued time off in lieu;
• you arrange taxis or minibuses.

It’s important to remember that, while you have no legal obligation to pay staff that can’t make it into work due to strikes, there are ways to soften the blow and keep relationships positive.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

I can’t get to work because of the rail strikes. Does my employer have to pay me?

No they do not. It is, generally, an employee’s responsibility to get to and from work and so, if this is not possible, the employer is entitled to regard such absence as unauthorised. An exception to this might be where the employer provides transport, for example, a bus service, and this is cancelled.

Some employers may consider allowing employees to request the time off as annual leave or to work from home during the days the rail strikes are due to take place.

My workplace has closed for the day because of the strike. Does my employer have to pay me?

Unless your contract has a provision allowing for unpaid lay-off, your boss will still have to pay you if your workplace is closed because of the strikes; this also cannot be marked down as a holiday.

If you are on a zero-hours contract or your employer has a contractual right to decline to offer you work at short notice, they may not have to pay you. Also, as there has been advance notice of the industrial action, the employer could give prior notice to require employees to take their holiday.

If I’m on annual leave and my employer shuts my workplace for the day, do I still have to use my annual leave for that time, even though the business is shut?

This depends on your employer’s policy and whether employees are still expected to work while the business is shut. You may be able to “claim your holiday back” if everyone else is being given a day off, but if other colleagues are expected to work from home or continue to attend appointments, then it is less likely.

For a travel disruption policy or any further advice please contact mailto:nicola.goodridge@goodhr.co.uk or call +44 7917 878384