1 Department for Work & Pensions Fuller Working Lives Gill Dillon & Teresa Chalmers DWP JCP Humber LEP Humber LEP / CIPD Conference Creating more fulfilling lives for older workers 7 June 2016

2 Department for Work & Pensions Is there an issue in the Humber?

3 Department for Work & Pensions What are the challenges As HR professionals you are in a unique position to appreciate and act on the strategic importance of creating workplaces that can adapt to the needs of older workers. Overcoming ageism: flexibility, age diversity. Use the skills and experience of older workers for longer. Embrace the new phases of life, new social norms of the older worker. New phases of life could mean offering a range of services:  Combining work and care – Flexibility;  Part-time work or job share – ‘Timewise’ website;  New career – ‘Mid-life career review’; and  Adult skills – Apprenticeships.

4 Department for Work & Pensions Leaving labour market early One in six men and one in four women who had recently reached State Pension age hadn’t worked since at least age 55.

5 Department for Work & Pensions Recent polling said:  Over 75% of employers believe 50+ workers are a benefit.  65% highlighting reliability.  54% their role as mentors to younger employees.  87% disagreed that skills of older workers are not suitable for their business. And people want to work longer?  ½ of respondents over 50 still want to be working between  1/5 of retirees wish they had worked longer.  38% of them because they miss the social interaction. Attitudes of an ageing society

6 Department for Work & Pensions Employment rates across Yorks & Humber

7 Department for Work & Pensions The Cost to Humber Businesses The premature loss of older workers can lead to:  Skills shortages.  Loss of knowledge and experience.  Lost opportunity for mentoring of younger employees.  Higher recruitment costs.  Increased staff turnover - higher training costs and loss of output.

8 Department for Work & Pensions Challenges for Humber employers The HR profession has an important role to play in helping to embed cultural change in workplaces to create more fulfilling lives for people as they live and work for longer. Shortages of skilled labour in ageing society:  Employment rates for year olds are lower than those for year olds across the region. Line manager training. Making adjustments for working carers. Recognise ageing customer base may welcome older workforce:  Between 2016 and 2026 in the Yorkshire and the Humber region, there will be 1% fewer year olds but 7% more people aged 50-64

9 Department for Work & Pensions Priority groups and sectors In m people over 50 left work early triggered by a life event:  1.0m (34%) Health condition or disability;  0.4m (14%) Caring responsibilities;  0.7m (24%) Retired; and  0.4m (14%) Unemployed - workplace factors, redundancy. Communications will target employers and trade bodies in sectors where people are more likely to drop out of work early:  Men – manufacturing, construction, transport, wholesale/retail.  Women – education, health/social care, public administration, wholesale/retail.

10 Department for Work & Pensions How the Humber can help… As HR professionals you are in a unique position to stimulate change and create workplaces that can adapt to the needs of the older worker. Who would want to lose their most experienced employee: Retain - 39% of employees said they would prefer to work part-time than simply retire. Do your employees know your policy on flexible working? What stops you taking on an older worker: Recruit - why not try? Age blind recruitment. There is a new software application being developed called 'Applied'. Be the first to try... Why take on an older worker: 65% of employers highlighted reliability of the older worker - why not try setting up a Sector Based Work Academy scheme or work trial to see if the candidate is job ready?

11 Department for Work & Pensions How the Humber can help… When do older workers want to stop learning? Did you know 47% of older workers said they were interested to learn a new skills or update existing skills : Retrain - why not work with BIS & DWP to offer an older apprenticeship? Where to go for help: Fuller Working Lives team and DWP colleagues are happy to work with you to develop more fulfilling lives for older workers in the Humber.  Age Action Alliance toolkit;  REC guidance;  Business in The Community website. We would love to hear positive news stories from you so we can share best practice amongst other employers.

12 Department for Work & Pensions For further information please contact: Teresa Chalmers Gill Dillon