TUC issues guidance on older workers

The TUC has issued The health and safety of older workers: a guide for workplace representatives, aimed at helping workplace reps support an increasingly ageing workforce.

The TUC says that there is a higher proportion of older people in Britain now than at any time in history and that this figure is likely to increase.

Currently, one in six people are over the age of 65. By 2033, this figure is expected to rise to one in four, not least because birth rates are falling and people are living longer.

Employers are not allowed to discriminate against a worker because of their age, although an employer can force someone to retire once they reach the state pension age, provided that they can justify it using fair and objective reasons.

The guidance points out that although there is no specific health and safey legislation applying to older workers, employers have a general duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of the workforce.

Health and safety legislation applies to everyone regardless of age, and older workers may have specific issues that should be identified in a risk assessment.

Any risk should be removed or reduced to the lowest level possible. Employers are not allowed to use “health and safety” as an excuse for not continuing to employ an older worker or not providing them with training.

www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/OlderWorkersApril2014.pdf