The Employer’s Perspective
It is not a legal requirement to give your age to a prospective employer. However, disclosure will be required for pension, insurance or medical purposes.
Age diversity at work means employing people of all ages and not discriminating against someone because of their age. Ageism is widespread and affects all age groups. Age discrimination occurs because assumptions are made about an individual – young and old – that are based on inaccurate, outdated and inappropriate stereotypes. These attitudes work against the interests of the individual, the workforce and the employer. Ageism is deeply entrenched in society and the workplace. Valuing people of all ages in the workforce and regarding them all as a sustainable rather than a disposable resource is essential for our future prosperity.
People are living longer than ever before and are having fewer children. As a result the population is ageing, and this is happening around the rest of the developed world. From an employment perspective the dramatic drop in the numbers of young people coming into the labour market is beginning to have a huge impact on the pool from which employers are able to recruit new employees.
The business benefits of a mixed age workforce are now widely recognised. There is clear evidence that both turnover and absenteeism are reduced and that motivation and commitment are improved in organisations employing people of all ages.
Basing employment decisions on the grounds of ability not age, and employing an age diverse workforce:
Employment decisions based purely on age are never justifiable as:
Don’t fall into the prejudice trap. Younger people are commonly perceived to be irresponsible, immature and ill-mannered, while their older colleagues are seen as inflexible, slow learners and unable to adapt to change. Both sets of perceptions are stereotypes.
Good practice in ensuring age diversity is not a once-and-for-all activity but involves a range of interventions which need not necessarily be costly. Good practice should be compatible with business needs by being cost effective and appropriate, while still complying with the forthcoming 2006 law
Mature graduates are more likely to face unemployment than ‘traditional’ graduates and are also more likely to be under-employed once in work. Few mature students are recruited to ‘high-flyer’ jobs; where they are, it tends to be difficult-to-fill positions. The problem is particularly acute in companies that still operate graduate entry schemes where the age limit is often set as low as 25. It is worth noting that mature students may have experience and a more highly developed practical intelligence than ‘traditional’ students. Thus mature students are more likely to have a range of experience and interpersonal skills and can hit the ground running.
From October 1st 2006 it will be unlawful to discriminate, directly or indirectly, in employment and vocational training on the grounds of age unless there are justifiable reasons.
Indirect discrimination is when a policy is applied to everyone but disadvantages a certain group (e.g. older people). It does not mean that employers have to recruit or train people who are not competent or capable of undertaking the training or performing the essential functions of the job.
The Age Positive campaign was launched in 1999 to encourage employers to ignore age as a factor in recruitment. Their website identifies employers who are ‘Age Positive Champions’ and actively recruit mature employees. Organisations who are members of the Employers Forum on Age have also demonstrated a commitment to a mixed age workforce. Some employers have introduced bias free application forms and have reviewed their literature and websites to ensure there is nothing to discourage older applicants.
Employers should be aware of the forthcoming legislation and should have changes to any discriminatory practices in hand, rather than leaving it to the last minute. In public sector organisations – for example local and national government – you should not encounter problems.
Graduate recruitment schemes are not specifically mentioned in the forthcoming legislation but it is proposed that employers should be able to specify an age limit to recruitment only if they can justify doing so with reference to specific aims. An example of this would include activities where there needs to be a reasonable period of employment following training before retirement.
An employer who recruits an individual who is eligible for New Deal 50 Plus may be able to access a government funded grant of up to £1500 to help train the new employee. This can be used towards the cost of any work related training – for example Health and Safety training, an NVQ or IT training. www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/Aboutus/wisecouncil/Dev_014958.xml.html
Employers have a legal responsibility to take reasonable steps to prevent unlawful discrimination. This responsibility should apply to recruitment, selection, training, promotion, dismissal and redundancy policies and practices. Although it is not a legal requirement, a written equal opportunities policy shows a commitment to developing non-discriminatory personnel practices.
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