Age inclusion: Are you welcoming to older workers?

I recently wrote about older workers looking for work due to either financial needs or missing the the interaction with others and the daily routines that working life brings. Older workers that I have met told me that after they interviewed they felt that they had not got the role due to their age..

The HR Dept has written an article about age inclusion and thought that it was an interesting read and has given me permission to post it.

Due to the pandemic and other economic factors, it’s becoming more commonplace to hear from ex-staff members wanting to work for their employer once again. These are also known as “boomerang employees”.

If you saw our article back in May, you will know that rehiring an ex-employee could turn out to be a mutually beneficial arrangement, with all considerations met.

What if the employee wants to come out of retirement? Pre-2020 this question was less likely to be asked. For most people, retiring has been a long time coming, and they usually aren’t planning to return to work.

Times have changed, however. New data analysis from Rest Less, a digital community for the over 50s, suggests that employers can expect to be hearing from job seekers who are leaving retirement to re-enter the labour market.

One in three 50–64-year-olds surveyed are considering going back to work. Perhaps unsurprisingly, a key motivator for this was reported to be financial. It wasn’t the only one though, and some people simply miss the mental and social stimulation that comes with employment.

Hiring someone who was retired, or “retire and return” as it’s also known, is possible. You can also hire an ex-retiree who is completely new to your business. Either way, you will need to ensure that your company is age inclusive to allow them the best possible start for success.

There are many benefits to having a multi-generational workforce. An inclusive company culture that allows everyone to thrive can reap real benefits.

Multiple perspectives can bring new ideas and problem-solving abilities to your weekly meetings. It gives younger employees the chance to learn from their more experienced co-workers and vice versa.

When developing an age inclusive company culture, it’s also important to be aware of the unique challenges that can arise. You’ll want to be prepared so that you and your team leaders can manage effectively.

Watch out for negative stereotypes or bias that can lead to discrimination. Age is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010, and a person should not be treated unfairly because of their age. This is also known as ageism.

Examples of this might be passing an older employee over for training or promotion because of a perceived low flight risk. In fact, we have seen this play out at a recent Employment Tribunal in which the employee won a whopping £96,000 for unfair dismissal and age discrimination.

Employee development is just one area for attention. You’ll also want to ensure that employees communicate effectively and with respect. If you hear Twitter’s favourite ageist slur “Ok boomer” in your workplace, it would be wise to call it out to make sure that all of your employees feel welcome at work.

Article was taken from a publication published by HR Dept and permission was given to use