Dealing With an Ageing Workforce

If people are considered to be an organisations most important asset, then many UK employers are finding that their assets are ageing pretty quickly.

In the UK the average working age has increased steadily over the last 30 years and is set to increase further in the future. This is an issue that is affecting virtually all of the western industrialised nations and is viewed by experts as potentially very disruptive to their economies.

The facts speak for themselves:

• In 2007 there were 1 million people in the UK workforce who were aged between 65 to 70, this figure is expected to reach three million by 2017.
• It is estimated that by the year 2030 at least 46 per cent of the UK population will be over the age of 50.
• The UK population of over 65's grew by 31 percent between 1971 to 2006.

To further demonstrate the ageing of society as a whole, the government's own statistics show that already in 2009 there were already over 1.4 million people in the UK who were aged over 85.

These demographic changes have thrown up challenges and also opportunities that responsible employers should be planning for. From the most basic questions like how to replace a retiring experienced member of staff to more serious ones like how to deal with combating age discrimination.

On a practical level the nightmare scenario that could arise for some companies is that they may find that a group senior managers or key personnel reach retirement age at the roughly the same time. If this were to happen it could be very disruptive to the company to loose so many key personnel over a short period of time. As more and more of the baby boomer generation reach retirement age, this scenario may become reality for some companies.

On the positive side research has shown that the majority of those over retirement age say they would like to continue working. Mostly for financial reasons but also to keep themselves active and connected with society.

The question companies and indeed society should be asking is how should employers deal with a ageing workforce?

Listed below are three fields where I feel should be put into effect to address this issue.

(1)Firstly employers must make sure they do everything possible to meet legal requirement so that you don't fall foul of any employment legislation in relation to ageism.

To deal with a ageing workforce it is vital that companies are aware off any current Employment Equality (Age) Regulations relating to older employees. It is also important for policies to be implemented and regularly monitored, as failure to do so can lead to allegations of age discrimination or even prosecution.

In previous decades it was the norm for older workers to be made redundant first. This cannot be the case any more, laws exist to combat ageism by making it illegal to discriminate or target a person because of their age. Employers should be aware of these facts and make sure they do not make similar mistakes.

(2)Secondly employers should develop practises and policies to make sure they get the most of out their existing elderly employees and also to be willing in the future to hire more suitable elderly workers.

By having a positive workplace practises and policies towards older workers you can encourage them to work harder, be more loyal and bring out the best of their skills and experience.

One of the best ways to do this is to ensure that rewards and benefits are equally distributed to all staff. Doing this demonstrates fairness, helps to promote inclusion and makes for a better workplace atmosphere.

Listed below are some of the many obvious advantages of a elderly employee who has been with a company for a long time:

• Due to their experience and knowledge of their industries older workers are considered to be more productive than their younger colleagues.
• They are more likely to be loyal to a company, especially if they have been there a long time.
• According to official UK data for 2004 elderly workers were less likely to take time off for sickness than their younger counterparts.
• As they have been in a profession for a long time they are less likely to go around asking for advice from colleagues.
• They can mentor and advice new or younger less experienced staff.
• They may have strong and important contacts within their respective industries.
• By retaining a long term member of staff you can ensure continuity and less disruption to the workplace atmosphere.

Organisations that take maximum advantage of their mature experienced staff will find that their overall company performance can improve, helping them to gain a competitive edge.

(3) Thirdly companies should have detailed plans in place to deal with the vacuum left behind by any retiring staff.

Retiring staff who leave take with them years of experience, connections and talent. Rather than loose all of that experience employers should consider re-employing them or offering them more flexible working conditions to entice them back.

As retired people are more likely to consider working in part time jobs rather than full time occupations, consider offering them a part time role.

Other ways to try to encourage staff to remain are:

• Offer flexible reduced working hours and better working conditions.
• Have pro age policies and implement them. Many surveys have shown that a good friendly working environment is a major reason for elderly workers wanting to stay on.
• If possible perhaps offer a completely different job role, perhaps in mentoring or training on flexible terms.
• Having a better understanding of the health issues that can affect older member of staff.
• Allow career breaks for those staff who would like a few months or a year off work.

How well any of the above points are implemented or indeed if they can be implemented at all depend on individual companies.

For instance the size and income of a company can affect on how it copes with a ageing workforce. A small private company will be less able to meet the costs of an older employee who is off work for say 2 months due to a serious health condition. Whereas a large private sector or public sector employer will be more able to absorb these costs.

In conclusion is it clear that in the future there are going to be a lot more older people in both society and the workplace. To take full advantage of these coming changes we need to be positive in our attitudes and practises towards our ageing workforce.

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