We support the goal of a million more older people in work

Anna Dixon, Chief Executive of the Centre for Ageing Better, joined fellow members of the Business in the Community Age at Work Leadership Team to discuss the steps employers can take to attract and hold on to older workers. The panel discussion highlighted the business case for age-friendly employment, including improved retention, and a workforce that can relate to older customers and apply experience to solve problems better.

Anna highlighted the importance of fulfilling work for older workers, so that working longer becomes a positive choice that helps people enjoy a good later life. Our new report outlines the key factors that older workers value about work, and what employers can do to become more age-friendly.

The Minister for Employment, Damian Hinds, set out how the #OneMoreMillion campaign fits with the Government’s Fuller Working Lives Strategy. He highlighted the positive partnership between the Department for Work and Pensions, Business in the Community and the Centre for Ageing Better as a way for government and business to work together so that more people in later life are in fulfilling work.

Anna Dixon said “The Centre for Ageing Better gives its full support to achieving the goal of a million more older people in work over the next five years. By 2022, more than one in three workers will be over 50. Employment rates for this age group have been growing, but they remain much lower than for younger people, with a rapid falling off after the age of 55. Increasing the numbers of people over 50 in fulfilling work is good for society, good for business and most importantly good for people themselves.”

To achieve this ambitious target, we need age-friendly workplaces, which allow people to sustain productive and healthy working lives for longer. Older workers should expect to be treated equally and fairly as any other worker, with flexibility, reasonable adjustments, and opportunities for development.

A number of employers are already taking positive steps to become age-friendly and support older workers. Through our partnership with Business in the Community we are building and sharing the evidence of what works so that more employers understand what they can do and take effective action. This target is a decisive call-to-action – we all need to do much more to ensure that workers over 50 have the chance to continue to work in later life.”