Employing Older Workers

A new publication from the DWP (February 2013) seems well worth highlighting. Although it says nothing new (if you already have a rudimentary awareness of the issues), it does provide a concise and accessible summary for employers of the benefits of employing older workers and what to take into account.

If nothing else it’s good to see that the DWP hasn’t entirely abandoned the issue now that the legislation has been introduced and the topic is no longer ‘flavour of the month’.

The guidance is drawn from employers who report clear business benefits from effectively managing an ageing multi-generational workforce. It provides answers to employer questions and offers non-bureaucratic solutions tried and tested by employers of various sectors and sizes.

It also addresses misconceptions about employing older workers concerning productivity, up-skilling, health and ‘blocking’ opportunities for younger workers.

It’s called Employing Older Workers:  An employer’s guide to today’s multi-generational workforce and is available at http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/employing-older-workers.pdf

Free advice for older entrepreneurs

The accountancy body ICAEW has recently launched a new Business Advice Service to promote the use of ICAEW Chartered Accountants to businesses. Under the scheme the network of 3,200 offices of ICAEW firms throughout the country who currently participate in the Business Advice service offer SMEs and start-ups an initial, free, no-obligation meeting to discuss their business needs.

As business startups are now increasingly a key post-retirement or redundancy option for older people who want to continue working, this is interesting news. Evidence shows that those who take (and act on) advice prior to setting up a business and work with trusted advisors throughout are more likely to succeed.

Later this month, from June 25 to 29, the organisation is hosting a Business Advice Week, providing a range of free events, seminars and conferences. Topics will include access to finance, initial start-up advice and planning growth. There will also be extensive opportunities to network with business owners and meet local advisers, banks and other local business organisations.  

Further details about events in each region can be found at the ICAEW website: http://www.icaew.com/en/about-icaew/what-we-do/act-in-the-public-interest/policy/enterprise/icaew-business-advice-service/bas-week-events

 

It’s not rocket science

Extracts from two pieces of information that have “hit the streets” just recently.

Firstly:

The UK’s ageing population and huge debt have propelled it into the top 10 of countries threatened by unsustainable public finances, new research has found. Britain is now one of 12 nations rated “extreme risk” in the Fiscal Risk Index compiled by global analysts Maplecroft.

The UK was ranked 10th in the list of 163 countries – up from 27th last year under a slightly different method of calculating positions – because of its high public spending on health and pensions, massive borrowing and shrinking working population.

The Fiscal Risk Index identifies nations that will come under increasing economic pressure in the future because of low birth rates, high life expectancy and state commitments to look after older people.

Italy topped the international league table, followed by Belgium, France, Sweden, Germany, Hungary, Denmark and Austria. Japan came ninth, the only non-European country rated “extreme risk”, with Finland 11th and Greece 12th.

Professor Alyson Warhurst, chief executive of Maplecroft, said: “Governments in high risk countries may need to rely on business to help them absorb the costs.

“At the very least, governments will need the private sector to recruit and retain older workers and provide for more generous pension arrangements.”

(Press Association)

Secondly:

Talent management has become the number one preoccupation among chief executives at global organisations this year because skills shortages are becoming increasingly apparent as they gear up for renewed growth.

The report (by PriceWaterhouse Coopers) indicated that skills shortages were not limited to (such) emerging markets, however. “Voluntary turnover declined in mature economies during the recession, but historical trends demonstrate that it will return. As a result, talent is at the top of the agenda for global CEOs.”
   
But the scale of the skills shortage problem was also leading to some new thinking in order to tap its underused resources – although action remained limited. For instance, although fewer women than men were economically active in nearly every country in the world, only 11% of chief executives were planning to make ‘significant changes’ to policies aimed at attracting and keeping more female employees.
 
Few have altered policies (10%) in relation to older workers either, however, even though they constitute another underused talent pool and there is an awareness that the retirement of large numbers of baby-boomers could cause problems. Some 54% of bosses said they were looking at more effective ways of recruiting and keeping younger staff, however.
 
Because of these skills shortage issues, some 54% of respondents said that they intended to work with government and educational establishments in future in an attempt to improve the available talent pool.

(HRZone)

Conclusion:

Sounds like good material for a joint research project between the “University of Joined-Up Thinking” and the “University of the B******g Obvious”?

 

Great grannies

Regular readers of this blog will know how much we hate the inappropriate and indiscriminate use of ageist terms such as pensioners, oldies and grannies to describe older people. But for once I have come across an organization that uses the term grannies with panache – and about which I have no complaint.

Grannies, Inc. is a relatively newly established online UK knitwear company offering customers the opportunity to design their own knitwear accessories and have them hand knitted by a granny of their choice.

The idea is innovative, the website is excellent and their slogans e.g. “there’s wisdom in the wool”, “Granny-made in the UK”, are superb.

As a way of crossing the generational gap and providing work for older women it stands as a shining beacon of what can be done with imagination and entrepreneurial spirit. Let’s hope it sets an example that others will follow.

http://www.granniesinc.co.uk/index.php

Young, old …or optimum?

Last week we attended the launch by the EHRC (Equality and Human Rights Commission) of their new research report Working Better: the over 50’s – the new work generation.

At the launch, David Frost, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce dragged out the old chestnut about how keeping older people in work reduces  job opportunities for younger individuals. You can see from our earlier blog posts that for numerous reasons we consider this a fatuous argument.  First, dispensing with an older person does not mean that someone from the opposite end of the age scale will step into their shoes. Second, the model that sees that the removal of an older person means an upward move for all below them (and the creation of a new job at the lowest level) does not represent the complexity of the situation in reality. Third, it means that everyone is seen as interchangeable in terms of skills, experiences and suitability for the job.

A long list of other points could follow – all of which would demonstrate that the argument is about as meaningful as proposing to remove all women from the workplace to make room for men. It could be done – but there is no moral, rational or business reason to underpin why.

What we MUST do, for reasons of fairness and equality for all, is to remove age from the equation. In practice employers generally realise that they need a range of skills, abilities, experience, stability, mobility, fresh blood and old hands in order to add up to the optimum workforce mix. The cost of these elements will vary – it is for them to decide where the value lies. Linking employment policies to chronological age does nothing to help employers or employees, and has an enormous potential to be hugely damaging when bandied about by policy makers who have little to do with pragmatic decision making.

Reward and Recognition

Splendid news that Caroline Waters, director of people and policy at BT has been awarded an OBE for “services to diversity and equal opportunities”.

HR Magazine who voted her HR director of the year in 2009, reported:

“Waters is one of the pioneers in the adoption of innovative approaches to workforce management and her enthusiasm for the benefits of work-life balance are unrivalled. She has been unflagging in her efforts to demonstrate that flexible working is good for business.

BT is a leading employer when it comes to an ageing workforce …The company’s youngest employee is 16 and oldest 75, marking an age gap of nearly 60 years.”

It’s great to see that Caroline’s efforts have been rewarded – particularly in the area of demonstrating that flexible working is good for business – and that “age management” applies to workers of all ages. Let’s hope this leads to a greater recognition by other employers that great things can be achieved in this area and equally, that there is a strong business case for doing them.

National Olderpreneur Roadshow kicks off next week

It is now well-documented that people over 50 setting up their own businesses have a greater chance of success than any other age group. But, if you are contemplating doing this, where do you start?

Well, here is one answer. Over 50s with this idea in mind can come along to PRIME’s Olderpreneur Roadshow which kicks off in Bristol on 23 September. PRIME (The Prince’s Initiative for Mature Enterprise) is the only national organisation that offers practical support to Over 50s considering setting up their own business or becoming self-employed and their Olderpreneur Roadshow is part of a practical package of support the charity offers Over 50s including a Business Club, Olderpreneur Loans Scheme and  Mentoring.

At the FREE roadshow anyone over 50 who wants to find out whether self-employment or setting up their own business might be for them, can come along. They will hear from local ‘olderpreneurs’ about their experiences, and from inspirational business speaker Tom Edge, author of “Age Is No Barrier”. They will also be able to quiz local business support organisations and network with other Over 50s wanting to start up on their own.

The Roadshow will run from now until early 2010 and after Bristol, it will move to Leeds on 14 October, Birmingham on 4 November, London on 10 November and Manchester on 9 December.

“The potential for economic growth partly driven by the Over 50s could be a big factor in the success of the UK’s businesses and in our future.  However, they need better targeted support and guidance. Many have care responsibilities.  A significant number have a health condition or a disability. Nevertheless, flexible working and a good work-life balance can be key to the Over 50s remaining in work, which is why self-employment or setting up their own business is such a good option”, says Laurie South, Chief Executive of PRIME.

For more information and /or to register for a free place visit; http://www.primebusinessclub.co.uk/events/

McDonalds – we’re lovin’ it

New research from Lancaster University Business School has shown that employees aged over 60 have delivered a significant boost to business at McDonalds. Levels of customer service are reportedly 20% higher in restaurants with staff aged 60 or over with 69% of McDonalds’ managers saying older workers empathise and connect well with managers, 47% saying older workers go the extra mile to deliver the best possible service and 44% rating highly the role of mature workers in bringing mentoring skills to help develop younger staff.

McDonalds employs 1,000 people aged 60 or over. Of course, older workers aren’t perfect but this shows that those organisations who are prepared to recruit, develop and retain them can reap real bottom-line benefits. Like B&Q, Sainsburys, BT and other such organisations before them, they’re to be commended for recognising the strengths of an age-diverse workforce. We’ll really be lovin’ it when other mainstream employers do the same for white collar and managerial employees – and the notion of a truly multi-generational workforce is so commonplace as to no longer be newsworthy.

Pensioner? Moi?

It would be nice to think that this was irony, but somehow I think they just really don’t get it…

A recent article in the Daily Telegraph investigating older people’s views on business attitudes towards the older market (for article click here) was entitled “Half of pensioners think businesses are obsessed by youth”.

The first paragraph read: “Age Concern and Help the Aged, the newly merged charity, interviewed 1,000 people over the age of 50 and found that 57 per cent believed businesses ignored them in favour of appealing to the ‘youth market’, with 47 per cent saying they felt UK businesses were ‘youth-obsessed’. In response the charity is launching a scheme to brand certain products as ‘pensioner friendly’.”

Since when did everyone over 50 become a pensioner? Since when did “age friendly” (the actual name of the Age Concern/Help the Aged scheme) mean the same as “pensioner friendly”?

On the basis of this the Telegraph could proudly head the queue of those businesses that are obsessed by youth…

How to run a business

New research carried out by PRIME (the Prince’s Initiative for Mature Entrepreneurship) shows that one in six new businesses in the UK is started by someone aged 50+, despite a systematic failure of business support providers to offer services to this age group.

Their ‘Generations Forgotten’ survey reveals that despite the needs of olderpreneurs being included in the government’s 2008 enterprise strategy, the main focus of business support services remains on younger enterprise.

At a time when older people are being encouraged to start their own businesses as a way of countering the prejudice and discrimination that still exists in terms of gaining new employment or retaining existing jobs, the over 50s need all the help they can get in order to create sustainable enterprises.

Much is talked about the suitability of older people for entrepreneurship (e.g. skills and knowledge, perseverance, stability, flexibility) and on paper, starting a business per se is generally pretty simple. But in arguably the worst recession most people have ever known, the focus has to be on helping older people to create low risk businesses that will actually make them money – and not just pin money but a living wage.

That said, probably the government aren’t the best people to advise on that…

Read more of the Generations Forgotten report at:  http://www.prime-cymru.co.uk/downloads/PRIME_report_Generations_Forgotten_2009.pdf

Spare room start up

Emma Jones, Founder of home business website enterprisenation.com, continues her series of articles offering top tips on how to start a business from home.

Did you know that the home is now the most popular business start-up location? More than 60% of companies in the UK are started from home – that’s more than 1,400 new businesses each week. And a good number have someone in their over 50’s at the helm.

According to the Home Business Report published in October 2007 the three groups showing the fastest growth in home based start-ups are graduates, Mums and the over 50’s. And they’re involved in a whole range of businesses too. From interior furnishings to writing, catering, fashion and consultancy; it seems that pretty much any business can now be started and run from the comfort of your own home. The secret is knowing how and where to start.

In our earlier articles we looked at the first step, coming up with the right idea, then writing it down. Now it’s time to make a first sale!

Step 3: Making a first sale

A successful entrepreneur once told me that you’re never really in business until you’ve made that first sale. It sounds so simple – and so right. And here are some tips that will help you be on your way.

1. Make a list (check it twice)

Make a note of the friends, family, colleagues and contacts who you think might be interested in your product/service.

2. Pitch up

Write to the people on the list and announce your new business venture. Make your pitch but don’t be too pushy. Remember to address each recipient personally – no-one likes a group email!

3. Follow up

Follow up in a few days time, either with another email or, better still, a phone call. If the potential customer sounds keen, go for it. Arrange to meet so you can explain more about the product.

4. Meet up

Arrange a time and place that’s convenient for your potential customer. Be professional, but also likeable. They’re equally important characteristics when making a sale.

If the customer agrees the deal, bring the meeting to a fairly speedy end. Your job is done – for now. It’s time to head home and deliver on the promise you made.

5. Make some noise

Once you’ve made your first sale – shout about it! Let others know that you’re well and truly in business and they will come knocking too.

Next time, in part four, Emma will offer tips on how to market yourself and your home business. Emma is author of ‘Spare Room Start Up – how to start a business from home’ just published in May. Details below in our Book of the Month.

Book of the month

‘Spare Room Start Up – how to start a business from home’,

by Emma Jones, published by Harriman House.

If you’ve ever dreamed of starting your own business this is definitely the book for you. Working from home has myriad attractions: a ten second commute, the flexibility to work when you want to and the sheer joy and satisfaction of being your own boss, accountable to no one but yourself. It’s no wonder that so many in my primers decide that this is the time to make their dream a reality.

However, evidence shows that successful businesses rely on more than luck and serendipity, those that survive and flourish have spent time researching, planning and sizing up alternatives. This handy book is a great place to start. Written by Emma Jones, founder of home business website, enterprisenation.com, it is organized by three key themes – business, lifestyle and technology – it provides you with simple solutions and demonstrates the ease and low cost with which a home business can be started. Advice and suggestions are interspersed with quick tips, illustrations and invaluable real life case studies from successful home business owners.

The book is on special offer to inmyprime visitors with a 35% discount and is available for purchase at www.enterprisenation.com.