The Employers Forum on Age

The Employers Forum on Age responds to the Turner report and the issue of extending working life
11 October 2004

On the eve of the release of the Turner Report, the Employers Forum on Age, the voice of employers on age issues in the workplace, urges both employers and employees to look on the inevitable need to extend working life as an opportunity.

The EFA sums up the implications for employers, and urges them to:

Think of the ageing population as a solution to skills shortages currently faced in many sectors
Think of the ageing population as an opportunity to retain talented employees for longer - cutting down on recruitment and other costs

And for employees:

Working longer - perhaps even part time - will increase their income in retirement
People get social, as well as financial benefits, from working - 20 or 30 years of retirement may not suit everyone

Sam Mercer, director of the EFA comments:

"If we want older people to keep working, the experience they have of the workplace must change. Employers are increasingly recognising the contribution which older staff make to their business and that age stereotypes are ridiculous. This will help address unacceptable levels of age discrimination currently in UK businesses and is key to tackling low participation in the over 50 age group. The Turner Report should be seen as a wake up call by employers who continue to discriminate against older workers"

"The whole issue of extending working life and redefining retirement needs to sit with the work/life balance debate. If we are going to expect people to work for longer, and be motivated and productive, employers must enable them to work in a different way throughout their working life. Otherwise people in their late 50's and early 60's will continue to be desperate to retire as soon as possible."

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