Happy first birthday, Age-friendly Employer Pledge

I have had the pleasure of being the government’s Business Champion for Older Workers for a number of years. 

Since early 2022, I have also been Chair of the Centre for Ageing Better’s Business Leadership Group, which has encouraged and supported Ageing Better to develop an Age-friendly Employer Pledge.

The pledge has been designed to support employers who recognise the importance and value of older workers and who are committed to improving work for people in their 50s, 60s and beyond.  

Most importantly, these are employers who value older workers and stand ready to take positive action to help everyone flourish in a multigenerational workforce. 

The importance and value of older workers has been the subject of discussion for as long as I can remember.

Yet it is still very challenging to turn talk into meaningful action in enough workplaces across the UK to make the change that is needed.

The absence of older workers returning to the labour market after the COVID-19 pandemic captured media attention and sparked welcome announcements of support for older jobseekers in this year’s Spring Budget.

But, better employment support is only part of the equation. If we are to see the older worker participation rates we need in our economy, we need to see workplaces that are more receptive to older workers. 

That means workplaces that retain older workers for longer in a labour market where highly experienced workers are employed for longer and recruitment practices are more age-friendly. 

I am delighted that, in the year since the Age-friendly Employer Pledge launched, over 290 organisations have signed up to take action and many more are in the pipeline to do so. 

There is still a lot to do, but I would like to congratulate the team who have worked on this and every employer who has signed up.  Happy 1st birthday to you all. 

I would also like to encourage organisations who are reading this, but who have not yet signed up, to do so.

Phoenix Group has done so, because it makes sense.

Good multigenerational workplaces are more productive, happier and healthier places to work.

With people living and working longer than ever before, everyone across the UK needs to be able to access good work in later life to enjoy a good financial future.

This is why we support the pledge.