Title headingAge Equality and the workforce: resources for the FE and Skills sector

When employment decisions are based on a person’s age

Stereotypes, not facts, affect views on ability and competence

Applies to people of all ages

It’s illegal!

What is Ageism in the Workplace?

Most older adults have difficulty adapting to change and are set in their ways

FALSE – This tends to be a relatively stable personality characteristic - older adults are no more likely to demonstrate this than younger people.

In fact older workers can be better at dealing with workplace change as they can bring previous experience of adapting to different work situations

True or false?

Older workers are more likely to cause issues for their employer due to health problems

FALSE – Evidence actually shows that older workers tend to have lower levels of short term sickness absence than younger workers.

Cognitive skills such as intelligence, knowledge, language and complex problem-solving are resistant to age-related decline

True or false?

Older workers don’t want to take on full-time employment or managerial responsibilities

FALSE – An employee aged 50 may have at least 15 years of their working life ahead of them, or more.

More teaching staff in FE are coming into academia late in their working lives from a background in commerce / industry – bringing significant experience with them

True or false?

Retirement is no longer a fair means of dismissal

TRUE – The Government has now removed the Default Retirement Age (65) and this means that employees can no longer be dismissed on grounds of reaching an automatic (retirement) age – as this would be age-discriminatory.

True or false?

Scenario – Managing performance of older workers

On June 9th 2011 Alex will be 65. Alex has worked in the College laboratory as a full-time technician for 19 years. Alex enjoys the work and cannot really imagine what life will be like without it. Alex wants to carry on working beyond the 65th birthday.

Alex’s manager, Sam, is worried as Alex has not been performing in the role and is keen for Alex to retire.

Sam has not raised the issue of poor performance with Alex at the last two reviews.

Scenario – Managing performance of older workers

What might be some of the barriers to tackling this situation, and how could these be overcome?

What do the changes to the Default Retirement Age mean for this scenario?

Scenario – Managing performance of older workers

What might be some of the barriers to tackling this situation, and how could these be overcome? Lack of awareness or training amongst line managers

Individual misconceptions on older worker’s capability

Not recognising where performance issues may be related to training / development needs

Do performance criteria accurately reflect the role requirements?

Are flexible working options available?

Performance management procedures not being applied equally to workers of all ages

Scenario – Managing performance of older workers

What do the changes to the Default Retirement Age mean in this scenario? Compulsory retirement for majority of employers will be a thing of

the past – retirement as a way of ‘managing out’ weak performance no longer an option.

Alex not able to be legally retired unless in receipt of a notice of retirement by 5th April 2011.

Performance management must be fair and consistently applied – to employees of all ages.

Ability, not age, should be the key driver.

But, if performance can’t be resolved, apply normal fair dismissal procedures, whatever the age of employee

Ideas for employers

Ensure policies and practices comply with age legislation

Be clear about job requirements – and consider job design

Use age and employee feedback data to gauge progress

Staff training and awareness raising

Age diversity strategy

LSIS Age Resources – What’s available?

Supporting inclusive workforce development (5

information resources + self-assessment tool)

Beyond the DRA – short, practical guide

New (in development):

Managing older workers guide (myth-busting; top

tips; real-life examples; self-assessment)

Suite of FE and Skills employer case studies

(practices, benefits, experiences of employers already

working without fixed retirement)

Questions

What types of resources do you need?

How would you like to use these resources?

What areas do you need most support on?

Any other questions?

Further information

LSIS resources

Managing beyond the DRA: www.lsis.org.uk/Services/Publications/Documents/LSIS-DefaultRetirementAge-briefing-March2011.pdf

Supporting inclusive workforce development: www.lsis.org.uk/Services/Publications/Pages/SupportingInclusiveWorkforceDevelopment.aspx

A review and analysis of age equality practise in the learning and skills sector: http://www.lsis.org.uk/Services/Publications/Pages/A-review-and-analysis-of-age-equality-practise.aspx

ACAS guidance on the retirement process

Working without the default retirement age: www.acas.org.uk/retirement

DWP Age Positive guidance on Business Link

Workforce management without a retirement age }

Answers to questions on older workers and retirement } www.businesslink.gov.uk/agepositive

Good practice employer case studies }

CIPD resources:

Managing Age guide (New Edition – 2011): http://www.cipd.co.uk/hr-resources/guides/managing-age-new-edition-2011.aspx