Age-friendly Employer Pledge
The Age-friendly Employer Pledge is a commitment made by employers to celebrate the value of older workers. It is free to sign-up and is open to employers across the UK.
500+ organisations have signed the Employer Pledge
Age is your Advantage
The Age-friendly Employer Pledge is a commitment made by employers to celebrate the value of older workers. It is free to sign-up and is open to employers across the UK.
Take simple, practical steps to improve the recruitment, retention and development of people over 50 and join hundreds of organisations leading the way in enjoying the benefits of age-inclusive workplaces.
Don't miss out on what older workers can offer
Organisations are struggling to fill gaps in their workforce with the right people and the right skills.
Meanwhile, the UK’s ageing population means growing numbers in their 50s and 60s are ready to provide the experience and skills employers need.
Yet so many are overlooked, ignored – employers seeing a problem, rather than potential.
What if an ageing workforce was considered an advantage, not an obstacle?
The Age-Friendly Employer Pledge provides the answer for employers.
We recognise the importance of older workers and aim to provide an inclusive environment to all our colleagues, regardless of their age or background.
Who is the Pledge for?
The Age-friendly Employer Pledge is a nationwide programme for employers who:
- recognise the importance and value of older workers
- are committed to improving work for people in their 50s and 60s (and beyond)
- are prepared to take action to help them flourish in a multigenerational workforce
Signing up to the Age-friendly Employer Pledge shows your commitment to older workers.
The Pledge
The Pledge aims to:
- Support employers with their age-inclusive work which will improve the recruitment and retention of people in their 50s and 60s, in the face of the UK’s skills and labour shortages.
- Harness the unique knowledge and perspectives older workers bring, building resilient workforces for the future, embedding Age-friendly workplaces as the 'norm' and supporting the future trend of people living and working for longer.
Pledged employers take action every year to improve the recruitment, retention and development of workers aged 50 and over from one of the following areas:
- Create an age-friendly culture
- Hire age-positively
- Be flexible about flexible working
- Encourage career development at all ages
- Ensure everyone has the health support they need.
Become a member of the Age-friendly Employer Pledge
Join our network of organisations
The Age-friendly Employer action framework
Becoming an Age-friendly Employer is a journey. By signing the pledge, you are not committing to changing your whole organisation overnight. You are committing to take one action – big or small – every year, to improve the recruitment and retention of older workers.
Click on the buttons below to view some of our suggestions for getting started. You can also view our full framework.
Analyse your workforce data by age
If you want to know where you should start, your data will tell you where your biggest challenges are. Are older applicants less likely to get to interview? Are your staff in their 50s and 60s accessing training and development? What is your average age of exit? Your own data will give you a starting point for your journey.
Look at your job ads
Our research shows that making job ads more appealing to older workers does not deter younger workers. So avoid terms like ‘recent graduate’, and add a diversity statement that includes age-inclusivity.
Welcome flexible work for any reason
We know that flexibility is the key factor that attracts workers in their 50s and 60s, and it enables people to stay in work. Flexible work supports older workers with caring responsibilities and to manage their health – but it can also give space to get other things out of life. If a job can be done flexibly, it can be done flexibly by anyone.
Provide a holistic 'MOT' to staff in mid-life and beyond
Don’t limit career development conversations to younger workers – and don’t wait too long to talk about pensions. The mid-life MOT provides a framework for structured conversations with staff in their 40s, 50s and beyond about their future – at work, and after.
Have open conversations about menopause at work
Menopause symptoms – and the inability to talk about them – push too many women out of work. Provide training to staff of all ages and genders about the effects of menopause and how they can be managed. Small adjustments can make a big difference.
Getting Started Guides
These getting started guides cover the five areas of the Age-friendly Employer Action Framework. They are full of clear and easy to implement advice to help you take action towards becoming a more age-friendly employer, whether you have signed the Pledge or not.
