A report said that ageism was so rife in the workplace that people had only five years in their entire working life during which they were unlikely to be judged too young or too old for a job.
Source: The Challenge of the Age, Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (020 8971 9000)
Links: CIPD press release | Age Concern press release
Date: 2003-Dec
A report drew together the findings from 12 individual Joseph Rowntree Foundation research projects relating to transitions after the age of 50. It reviewed evidence on a range of aspects of older workers' transitions, including their experiences at work, their reasons for leaving and what they did outside paid work; explored the extent to which people planned the kind of transition that suited them best, or were constrained by circumstances beyond their control; looked at how far they were led by the relative financial attractiveness of work and retirement, or by factors in their lives and their jobs that would cause them to retire or continue working regardless of money aspects.
Source: Donald Hirsch, Crossroads After 50: Improving choices in work and retirement, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary | JRF Foundations D13 | JRF press release | Guardian article
Date: 2003-Dec
A report examined what influenced labour market participation among people aged 50-69. The research explored the influences on continuing labour market participation of factors such as health, caring, income and assets, pension provision, qualifications and occupation. Health had a significant impact on continued labour market participation among people in the age group, a fifth of whom had been forced to retire or leave a job because of ill health. A third of women in the workforce aged 50 and over planned to retire after state pension age; and almost a third of the workforce, both men and women, aged 50-69 wanted to retire gradually by reducing their working hours prior to fully retiring.
Source: Alun Humphrey, Paddy Costigan, Kevin Pickering, Nina Stratford and Matt Barnes, Factors Affecting the Labour Market Participation of Older People, Research Report 200, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Links: Report (pdf links) | Summary (pdf) | DWP press release (1) | DWP press release (2)
Date: 2003-Nov
A report provided findings from an internal review of evidence on back-to-work strategies for older people. It included a review of published literature concerned with the evaluation of Jobcentre Plus programmes and policies, and administrative data analysis relating to current back-to-work programmes available to jobseekers allowance and non-JSA customers aged 50 plus. The New Deal 50 plus programme was found to have been effective for older people, with a substantial number of those over 50 claiming JSA participating in the programme: however, participation by the far larger client group of non-JSA customers remained relatively low.
Source: Nicola Moss and Jessica Arrowsmith, A Review of What Works for Clients Aged over 50, W174, Department for Work and Pensions (0114 209 8274)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | DWP press release
Date: 2003-Nov
Responding to a government consultation document, campaigners welcomed a European Union directive on age discrimination in employment and vocational training, and the progress being made in implementing it. They said they would prefer to see the directive implemented in October 2005 (rather than October 2006) using primary legislation; and that the government should build on the directive by committing itself to early legislation to outlaw age discrimination in the provision of goods, facilities and services. They said it should also initiate a debate about introducing a duty to promote equality of opportunity regardless of age, for public bodies and other employers.
Source: Age Concern s Response to Equality and Diversity: Age Matters, Age Concern England (020 8765 7200)
Links: Response (pdf) | Consultation document (pdf)
Date: 2003-Oct
The Employment Appeals Tribunal overturned a tribunal decision which would have given workers over 65 the right to claim unfair dismissal and redundancy pay. Campaigners expressed indignation and said that people over 65 should have exactly the same workplace rights and protection as everyone else.
Source: Secretary of State for Trade and Industry v Rutherford and Another; Secretary of State for Trade v Bentley and Another, Employment Appeals Tribunal 2 October 2003 | Press release 2 October 2003, Age Concern England (020 8765 7200)
Links: Law report | Age Concern press release
Date: 2003-Oct
A think-tank report called for abolition of mandatory retirement, and said that government proposals to tackle ageism at work would not do enough to challenge age stereotypes and enable people to continue working.
Source: Sarah Spencer and Sandra Fredman, Age Equality Comes of Age: Delivering change for older people, Institute for Public Policy Research, available from Central Books (0845 458 9911)
Links: Summary | IPPR press release
Date: 2003-Oct
A report argued that working past the age of 60 had to be seriously considered as a way out of the pensions crisis. Working longer had to be one ingredient in the policy mix, and the debate needed to move on to how working longer could be made more attractive and fulfilling, and how people could find greater choice and opportunity.
Source: Patrick Grattan, Work after 60 Choice or necessity, burden or benefit?, Third Age Employment Network (020 7843 1590)
Links: Report (pdf) | Help the Aged press release
Date: 2003-Jul
The government began consultation on proposals to outlaw age discrimination in employment and vocational training by October 2006 (required under a European Union directive). Views were sought on a range of specific policy options, including abolition of employers' mandatory retirement ages (dismissal at a given age) unless employers could objectively justify them; the possibility of a default retirement age of 70, at which employers could retire employees; and proposals to cut statutory redundancy payments for workers over 40. Employers warned of the danger of an 'explosion of unnecessary employment tribunal cases'. Personnel experts said that giving employers the right to dismiss workers at 70 would undermine the government's commitment to eradicating ageism in the workplace.
Source: Equality and Diversity: Age Matters, Department of Trade and Industry (0870 150 2500) | House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 2.7.03, column 17WS, TSO (0870 600 5522) | Press release 2.7.03, Confederation of British Industry (020 7395 8247) | Press release 2.7.03, Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (020 8971 9000)
Links: Consultation document (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | Hansard | DTI press release | CBI press release | CIPD press release | TUC press release
Date: 2003-Jul
A review of literature on retirement ages found that the impact of restricting mandatory retirement was likely to be modest, mainly because there was little evidence of pent-up demand for working beyond the normal retirement age. Concerns about the impact on productivity were not borne out by the evidence.
Source: Pamela Meadows, Retirement Ages in the UK: Review of the literature, Employment Relations Research Series 18, Department of Trade and Industry (020 7215 5177)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2003-Jul
A report said that stereotypes of older employees persisted among employers, and that a low value was placed on their skills and experience. Many people over 45 wanted to work, learn and continue to use their abilities; and adult information and advice had a key role in helping mid-life and older adults to do so.
Source: Challenging Age - Information, advice and guidance for older age groups, Third Age Employment Network (020 7843 1590)
Links: Summary (pdf) | Help the Aged press release
Date: 2003-Apr
Researchers examined the characteristics and experiences of those leaving permanent full-time jobs to take up temporary, part-time or self-employed work before retiring fully. They suggested a number of detailed measures to promote continuing employment among this group.
Source: Stephen Lissenburgh and Deborah Smeaton, Employment Transitions of Older Workers: Role of flexible employment in maintaining labour market participation and promoting job quality, Policy Press for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: JRF Findings 343
Date: 2003-Mar
Researchers found that job retention for New Deal 50plus customers after the expiry of the employment credit (wage top-up) is high 84 per cent were off benefits at the 52-week stage.
Source: Karen Grierson, New Deal 50plus: Quantitative analysis of job retention, WAE 151, Department for Work and Pensions (0114 259 6278)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | Press release
Date: 2003-Mar
Researchers found that, overall, people who carry on working beyond state pension age appear to be healthier, wealthier and happier.
Source: Deborah Smeaton and Stephen McKay, Working after State Pension Age: Quantitative Analysis, Research Report 182, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Links: Report | Press release
Date: 2003-Feb
An article summarised key strands in research literature on the implications of population ageing for the labour market. Between 1991 and 2001, the mean age of participants in the labour force increased by approximately 1.5 years, from 37.5 to 39.0 years. The ageing of the labour force is projected to continue during the coming two decades. Key issues include the need to maintain the employability of older workers who wish to remain in work; the need to maintain the relevance of older workers skills; and the need to ensure that mobility levels are sufficient for adjustment to future changes in the location and composition of jobs.
Source: Sylvia Dixon, 'Implications of population ageing for the labour market', Labour Market Trends, February 2003, Office for National Statistics, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Article (pdf)
Date: 2003-Feb
Researchers assessed the longer-term outcomes of the New Deal 50plus, and in particular how far clients had stayed in work after the wage top-up provided by the programme had expired. It found that there were high levels of retention in work, and commensurately low rates of return to benefit. At the same time, progression and advancement at work were low.
Source: John Atkinson, Ceri Evans, Rebecca Willison, David Lain and Mariah van Gent, New Deal 50plus: Sustainability of Employment, WAE 142, Department for Work and Pensions (0114 259 6278)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf)
Date: 2003-Feb
