TUC tells employers to value their older workers

More than a third of the UK’s 2.6 million unemployed or economically inactive 50- to 65-year-olds want a job, according to a new TUC report.

Ready, willing and able warns that the government’s plan to raise the state pension age in order to tackle the pensions crisis will only push even more older people on to state benefits, unless employers stop discriminating against them.

With the number of UK residents aged 50 to 69 set to increase by 17% in the next decade, alongside a 2% fall in the under-50 population, the TUC is calling on employers to:

*carry out audits to establish the age profile of their workforce, and negotiate “age management” policies with unions and employees;

*support older workers’ training needs and offer them flexible working so they can “downshift” towards retirement;

*consider requests for reasonable adjustments to work stations, equipment and working practices by older workers, many of whom may have this right under the Disability Discrimination Act; and

*offer training in good ergonomic practice alongside workplace exercise programmes.

Ready, willing and able can be downloaded from www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-12248-f0.pdf