Listen: Good work for longer lives

As we live longer, how long we work for, the jobs we do, how and when we learn and acquire new skills and how and when we care for others need to change.

With an aging workforce and labour shortages, the over 50s are becoming increasingly dominant and important in the workplace. Today, three in 10 of the working age population are over 50. This means employers need to have the right policies and procedures in place to attract and retain older workers, or risk losing out on valuable experience and talent.

But despite their importance to the workforce, over one in three 50-to-70 years olds feel disadvantaged when applying for a job because of their age, and over half of over 50s in the UK agree that “older people are left behind by employers”. This can have a huge impact on businesses, societies and individuals.

Ahead of National Older Workers Week, beginning on 20 November, Phoenix Group is launching its ‘Good Work for Longer Lives’ Report, which highlights the diverse challenges facing older workers in the UK, from a lack of readily available career advice to the impact of managing long-term ill health and caring responsibilities.

Aston spoke to Claire Hawkins from Phoenix Group.

Photo by Glenn Carstens Peter on Unsplash