Following the Employee Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023 coming into force on 6 April 2024 (see our blog), the 50 Plus Choices Employer Taskforce (the Taskforce) has published a report on the benefits of flexible working for workers aged over 50 (the Report). The report discusses the current issues facing the UK workforce and considers how an increased focus on workers aged over 50 can help to increase their economic activity. Setting out recommendations for both the government and businesses, the report aims to provide practical suggestions to help businesses prepare for a workforce with a growing number of over-50s, in particular in relation to their retention, retraining and recruitment.

Why should flexible working for over-50s be a priority?

The Report shows that 30% of the working age population is now made up of people over 50. Approximately 72% of older workers either work flexibly already or want to do so. They possess skills and knowledge that businesses can struggle to replace. Although they do not necessarily want to leave their employment, they are looking for more flexibility in their lifestyle choice.

Many over-50s also face significant shortfalls in their pensions savings and the circumstances surrounding early retirement can have a detrimental effect on the individual's wellbeing. It has also been recognized that harnessing the power of over-50s will boost productivity and benefit the economy. Helping them to stay in work wherever possible is therefore essential.

The Taskforce calls on the government and businesses to do more to help the older generation through retaining, retraining, and recruiting processes.

Recommendations for the government and businesses

To assist workers over 50, the Taskforce has made a series of recommendations.

It recommends that the government:

• lead by example by monitoring the uptake and effectiveness of flexible working, breaking this down by age;
• help illustrate how flexible working can be used to aid retention, retraining, and recruitment by providing practical examples specifically with workers over 50;
• ensure resources on HR support are available for small and medium employers to help them with the implementation of flexible working legislation, including phased retirement;
• ensure that any training offered by the Job Centre Plus and the Department for Education can be undertaken on a flexible basis; and
• back the Centre for Ageing Better's Age Friendly Employer Pledge.

It recommends that employers should:

• actively promote the availability and range of flexible work options to both new and existing employees;
• monitor the uptake and effectiveness of flexible working;
• promote flexible working in all job adverts or discuss it at an early stage of the recruitment process;
• offer support to managers to help them better support flexible workers of all ages by normalizing conversations around flexible working and helping remove the stigma around it;
• ensure training and skill opportunities can be undertaken flexibly; and
• actively adopt and sign the Centre for Ageing Better's Age Friendly Employer Pledge.

The Taskforce recognises that, due to new technologies and emerging business needs, employees (and especially the older generation) may require continuous training to ensure that they can carry out their work until their intended retirement age. Modernisation of businesses should not push out older employees, but rather older employees should be given the opportunity to expand on their existing skills and knowledge so they can fully participate in new business practices.

Occupational Health Taskforce

There has been a lot of media coverage recently of how much of the UK workforce is economically inactive. The UK government is aware that one of the reasons for this situation is the rise in long-term sickness in all age groups, including those over 50.

To that end, the UK government has recently launched the Occupational Health Taskforce with the aim of improving employers' awareness of the benefits of occupational health (OH) in the workplace. It forms part of the government's wider drive to tackle in-work sickness and help grow the economy by keeping people in work and helping them return after periods of ill health.

It is estimated that 1.8 million workers reported work-related ill health in 2022/2023. Just 28% of employers in Britain provide some form of OH, with large employers (89%) nearly three times more likely than Small Medium Enterprises (28%) to do so.

The aim of the Occupational Health Taskforce is to produce a voluntary OH framework for businesses. It will set out the minimum levels of OH needed to stop sickness-related loss of jobs and help employers support workers returning to work after sick leave.

In addition, the Occupational Health Innovation Fund has been set up. So far, £1 million in funding has been provided to 10 projects aiming to develop innovative new models of OH. These models look to use technology to improve the capacity and capability of OH providers and increase access to OH for small and medium-sized employers. Phase 2 of the Fund is expected to start in April 2024 as part of the government's wider drive to tackle in-work sickness and help grow the economy by keeping people in work and helping them return to it.