1. Active Ageing - Baseline Study Dr Valerie Egdell Prof Ronald McQuaid, Vanesa Fuertes and Dr Emma Hollywood Employment Research Institute Edinburgh Napier University www.napier.ac.uk/eri www.napier.ac.uk/eri

2. Paul Guest Consultant in European Project Management With the support of Funded by

3. Introduction  Baseline study – to provide information on the current situation and actions regarding older people’s labour market participation in Edinburgh, and identify any existing gaps in knowledge  Inform a future pilot social experimentation study  Structure of the presentation:  demographic changes  policy background in Europe, UK and Scotland  existing research on the experiences of older workers  current actions in Edinburgh  limitations of current actions/policy and priorities to be met

4. Population aged 50+ and 50 to SPA as a percentage of all population aged 16+ Source: Annual Population Survey Oct 2008-Sep 2009 [from Nomis on 5 August 2010]

5. Impact of Demographic Trends  Debate on the best way to sustain older workers in employment for longer and to increase recruitment of older people  Many older workers desire to continue working beyond the normal retirement age if they feel able to (McNair et al. 2004, Smeaton et al. 2009). However not all want to do so  Rates of employment have fallen less for those aged 50+ than for other age groups during the recession (Jenkins and Leaker, 2010)  BUT once older workers are made redundant they face far greater difficulties re-joining the labour market than any other age group (Hogarth et al. 2009)

6. Policy Context - Europe  Target set by the European Council of Stockholm in 2001 to achieve an employment rate of 50% of those aged 55-64 years in 2010  The European Commission strategy is to maximise an individual’s capacity to participate over their life  EU Council Directive 2000/78/EC5 established a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation  Employment Framework Directive (2000) outlawed age discrimination - employment, training and membership of organisations

7. Policy Context - UK  Finance Act (2004) - employees can claim their occupational pension in full or in part without first having to leave their employment  New coalition government will bring forward to 2016 the increase in the state pension age and plans to phase out the default retirement age from April 2011  Employment Equality (Age) Regulations (2006) - made age discrimination in employment unlawful  The opportunity to access flexible working arrangements  Active labour market initiatives

8. Policy Context – Scotland  UK equality legislation applies in Scotland  Policies in place at the Scottish level brought together under the ‘All Our Futures: Planning for Scotland with an ageing population’ strategy. One of the six sub-strategies is to improve and increase older people’s participation in the labour market  Other initiatives that could be of benefit to older people include:  Workforce Plus - encouraging employers to recruit from a labour market pool that includes people who may not have been considered previously  Training for Work - help people improve their work related skills through the provision of appropriate training and structured work activity in line with assessed needs  BUT both are being replaced next year following the change in government

9. Employment rate in 2009 for age groups: working age and over 50 and below SPA Source: Annual Population Survey Oct 2008-Sep 2009 [from Nomis on 5 August 2010]

10. Employment of older workers  Research highlights a lack of awareness of demographic trends, the age discrimination regulations, lack of strategic approaches to the employment of older workers and lack of policies to do with age (Flynn 2010, Loretto 2010, McQuaid et al. 2008, McNair et al. 2007, Hollywood et al. 2007, Loretto and White 2006a, Metcalf and Meadows 2006)  Employers still have concerns about older workers but cases studies have shown how stereotypes are unfounded (EHRC & TAEN 2009).  Positive attitudes do not necessarily translate into good practice  Practice towards, and the barriers faced, by older workers as arising from interactions at various levels (Loretto and White 2006b, Loretto and White 2006c)

11. Age Management  “those measures that combat age barriers and/or promote age diversity” (Naegele and Walker 2006: 1-2)  Examples of good practice  Age management encompass 8 dimensions:  Job recruitment  Learning, training and lifelong learning  Career development  Flexible working time practices  Health protection and promotion, and workplace design  Redeployment  Employment exit and the transition to retirement  Comprehensive approaches  Number of factors can impact the age management approach taken (Flynn 2010, Barnes et al. 2009, McNair et al. 2007, Loretto and White 2006a, Walker and Taylor 1999)

12. Current Actions - Edinburgh  Organisations working with employers to help them to adopt good practice in terms of corporate social responsibility e.g. Scottish Business in the Community, Scotland’s Got Talent, Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, Business Gateway, Scottish Government  Organisations also working with older workers and employers e.g. A City for All Ages, Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, strategic development groups, consultative forums and events on issues around active ageing

13. Limitations and priorities  Limitations of current actions and policy  Inability to reflect older people’s needs  Inability to reflect employers’ requirements and pressures  Difficult to assess the workshops and guidance or information on age management  Priorities  General attitudes and opportunities  Access to work and training  Legislation  Employers’ practices

14. Next stages  Stakeholder interviews  Opinion of 50+ not in and looking for paid employment  Small scale social experimentation pilot with employers

15. References  Barnes, H., Smeaton, D. and Taylor, R. (2009), An Ageing Workforce: The Employer’s Perspective. Report 468 (Institute For Employment Studies)  EHRC & TAEN (2009) Age Diversity in the Downturn: Business Benefits of Creative Approaches to Age Management. London: Organised by TAEN for the Equality and Human Rights Commission  Flynn, M. (2010) “The United Kingdom government's ‘business case’ approach to the regulation of retirement”, Ageing and Society, 30: 421-443.  Hogarth, T., Owen, D., Gambin, L., Hasluck, C., Lyonette, C. and Casey, B. (2009), The Equality Impacts of the current recession. Research report 47. (Equality and Human Rights Commission)  Hollywood, E., Brown, R., Danson, M. and McQuaid, R.W. (2007) “Demographic and Labour Market Change: The Dynamics of Older Workers in the Scottish Labour Market”, Scottish Geographical Journal, Vol. 123; No. 4, 242-256  Jenkins, J. and Leaker, D. (2010) The labour market across the UK in the current recession. Economic and Labour Market Review, 4 (1): 38-48  Loretto, W. (2010) Work and retirement in an ageing world: the case of older workers in the UK. Journal of the Academy of Social Sciences, Vol. 5, No. 3, pp. 279 – 294.  Loretto, W. and White, P. (2006a) “Population Ageing and Older Workers: Employers’ Perceptions, Attitudes and Policies”, Population, Space and Place 12, 341- 352.  Loretto, W. and White, P. (2006b) “Employers' Attitudes, Practices and Policies Towards Older Workers”, Human Resources Management Journal, vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 313-330  Loretto, W. and White, P. (2006c) “Work, More Work and Retirement: Older Workers' Perspectives”, Social Policy and Society, 5: 495-506  McNair, S., Flynn, M. and Dutton, N. (2007) Employer responses to an ageing workforce: a qualitative study. Research Report No 455. (Department for Work and Pensions)  McNair, S., Flynn, M., Owen, L., Humphreys, C. and Woodfield S. (2004) Changing Work in Later-life: a study of job transitions. (CROW)  McQuaid, R.W., Brown, R. and Newlands, D. (2008) “Demographic Change and Economic Challenge: What Future for Scotland and other Small Countries?” Scottish Affairs, No. 64, pp. 3-17  Metcalf, H. and Meadows, P. (2006), Survey of Employers’ policies, practices and preferences relating to age. (DWP Research Report 325, DTI employment relations research series number 49)  Naegele, G. and Walker, A. (2006) A guide to good practice in age management. European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities  Royal Society of Edinburgh Research Workshop (2009). The Employability of Older People. Edinburgh Napier University, 01 July 2009, http://www.napier.ac.uk/randkt/rktcentres/eri/events/pastevents/Pages/ERIWorkshop.aspx http://www.napier.ac.uk/randkt/rktcentres/eri/events/pastevents/Pages/ERIWorkshop.aspx  Smeaton, D., Vegeris, S. and Sahin-Dikmen, M. (2009) Older workers employment preferences, barriers and solutions (Equality and Human Rights Commission)  Walker, A. and Taylor, P. (1999) “Good practice in the employment of older workers in Europe”, Ageing International, 25 (3): 62-79