Employers Need to Be Reeducated On Benefits of Recruiting Older Workers

30 August 2012 (PLANSPONSOREurope.com) - UK government should launch a campaign to re-educate employers about the benefits of recruiting workers beyond state pension age, according to the British Medical Association.

Data this week from the Office for National Statistics reveals in the UK, men and women  can expect to spend more than 80% of their lives in very good or good general health from birth, a figure that falls to around 57% at age 65.

Meanwhile German newspaper the Süddeutsche Zeitung published figures this week which reveal the number of German pensioners working part time “mini-jobs” to supplement their income had increased by 60% since 2000.

With growing numbers of people in the UK reaching the state pension age who would regard themselves as fit to work, Kevin McMahon, director of resources at British Medical Association, told PLANSPONSOR Europe the government needs to re-educate employers on the benefits of recruiting older workers.

“There are probably lots of things you could do to improve access for older workers to find employment but it is whether there is paid employment at the end of it. It is about educating employers who are older and maybe want to work for shorter periods,” he said.

“A lot of employers are reluctant to do it with one or two exceptions. I think there is a whole learning curve there.

“It would take a lot of promoting to reeducate employers – government and others would have to promote that. There would have to be a push on that on subject and I’m not sure we are going to see that anytime soon.”

PLANSPONSOREurope Staff
editors@plansponsoreurope.com