Old (and young) dogs learning new tricks
It is now just over a year since the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 came into force, designed to ensure that no one in the workforce, young or old, suffers discrimination on account of their age.
To help mark the first anniversary, Jobcentre Plus commissioned some research among older and younger workers to help promote the benefits of a diverse age profile in the workplace.
The results make interesting reading, with everyone sampled recognising the main benefits of working with people of mixed ages. However, there were some particular highlights, most notably 40% of older workers saying that they believe their younger colleagues can teach them new skills.
Older people were also impressed by other features of their younger colleagues' working style, with nearly two thirds commenting on their ability to learn quickly, 61% admiring their flexibility and more than half feeling that they give them energy.
There is significant room for improvement in some areas, however, with just a quarter of older workers calling their younger co-workers 'reliable'.
On the other hand, a third of younger workers were grateful for their older colleagues' greater willingness to work anti-social hours. But the greatest quality that they feel they bring to the workplace is experience (94%), with reliability (66%) and understanding (64%) also featuring highly.
According to Jobcentre Plus Chief Executive Lesley Strathie, "The research shows that having the right balance of age and skills can bring numerous benefits to establishing a complete workforce for both employers and employees. Both older and younger workers appreciate and learn from the qualities each brings to the workforce."
This research reflects legislation which is designed to protect workers, benefiting employers in terms of workforce balance and performance. While the legislation has been in place for more than 12 months, however, there are still many employers who are uncertain of their responsibilities - we would welcome any request for guidance or perhaps to review your current recruitment and employment practices to ensure you comply with the Equality Regulations.
Contact
Judith Ellery Head of Employment
Bethan Southcombe Solicitor
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This article summarises the law on issues which we believe may be of interest to your business. It is not a comprehensive review of the subjects and accordingly is published without responsibility for loss occasioned to any person(s) acting or refraining from action as a result of information published. This document is provided for information only and does not constitute legal advice. Professional legal advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from any action as a result of the contents of this document.