Article
Two: Is the end of ageism just over the hill? by Keith Henley
As early as 2000 the Government sponsored a study to investigate ageism in the workplace prompted by findings that indicated:
· the population in the UK was ageing in line with the rest of Europe
· life expectancy was rising whilst birth rates were in decline
· many more people were leaving the labour market at a younger age
The study found that discrimination on the basis of age was commonplace. Although one-in-three of the UK population was over the age of 40, many companies appeared to shed their older, experienced managers and recruited younger replacements. A survey revealed that as many as six out of ten employers preferred not to recruit staff beyond the age of 35 and that up to 40% of companies admitted to practising ageism.
It has since been further established that age discrimination can be influenced by gender, work sector and region. For example fewer over-50s are employed in Scotland and Wales than in England. South of the border, 70% of over-50s are in work, but the figure is 66% in Scotland and only 63% in Wales. The same differences apply to older workers in each region with 9% of people at state pension age or over still at work in England, compared with 6% in Scotland and 7% in Wales. The % of female employees aged 50 and over is greater than male employees and the ICT sector favours youth, whereas the transport industry favours experience.
By 2026 half of the UK adult population will be over 50 years of age. These factors result in fewer young people in work supporting an increasing number of people over 50 who are economically inactive. To counter the effects of these findings new EU rules will be coming into force in 2006, making it illegal to discriminate on grounds of age. It will cover employment and vocational training in every industry within the public and private sectors. Employers will be forced to adopt age positive practices because they will no longer be able to recruit, train, promote or retire people on the basis of age unless it can be objectively justified.
Government initiatives such as that currently in force through the Age Partnership Group can be heralded as a real step forward in helping to eliminate the "scrap heap" syndrome in the UK but it will not be able to make a substantial difference unless it is accompanied by cultural change. With legislative assistance that cultural change will occur and the more forward looking companies currently adopting this new culture will prosper. Why?
The post-war baby boom generation is now heading rapidly for retirement age but the birth rate in the years since has not kept pace with the demands of a growing economy. Couple this with the ever increasing restrictions on immigration and statistics suggest that it is in the interests of employers to encourage older workers to stay with them. That is if they want enough workers to run Corporate UK.
Cynics would argue that this is not about ageism at all but it is about the government trying to make up the massive shortfall in people's pensions by making people work longer. However, the new legislation is not just directed at older workers; it covers both the young and old and is aimed at showing that skills, experience and the ability to do a job is what is important, not a person's age.
Discrimination in the workplace is often suffered because of stereotypes that exist about ageing. The Department for Work and Pensions has found that many of these stereotypes are inaccurate. Here are a few examples:
Age determines health -True or False?
FALSE - Lifestyle, exercise, diet and smoking habits all influence our health. The risk of disease may increase with age but individuals can act to minimise these risks.
Older people find it harder to learn new skills - True or False?
FALSE - This comes from the old saying "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" and as in the case of the dog it is false. All ages can benefit from a learning environment with training tailored to the individual's needs. In many cases experience plays a key role in learning new skills or knowledge.
Older workers take more time off work - True or False?
FALSE - Older workers take less time off work through short-term illness / non-certified absence (the biggest source of absence and disruption for employers) than younger workers.
Make sure you are prepared and ready for the culture change.
Keith Henley is Director of Online Job Match -
"Returning integrity to the recruitment sector". You can
contact Keith at keith.henley@onlinejobmatch.co.uk
or visit www.onlinejobmatch.co.uk
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