ageism june 2010

Tackling ageism

by Fluid

June 2010

Contents3-4 Introduction to Fluid5-9 Definitions10-11 Stat attack12-13 What barriers exist?14-15 What can be done?16-20 Equality Act21-22 Keeping older workers engaged23-26 Managing age diversity27-28 Achieving an all-age workforce29-30 Retirement31-32 Flexible working33-35 Health & Safety36-37 Attraction38-39 Recruitment40-41 Assessment and selection42-43 Graduates44-45 Measurement and monitoring46-47 Communication48-49 Case studies50-51 Conclusion and questions

Introduction

Introduction to Fluid• Fluid Consulting Limited (Fluid) is a specialist

human resources consultancy headed by Tim Holden MCIPD

• 10 years in banking• 10 years in Human Resources consultancy• Fluid trading since 2006• The core services provided by Fluid are:

- Retention- Selection- Attraction- Remuneration & Reward - Outplacement- Training & HR consultancy

Definitions

Definitions 1 of 4• VETERANS• Born before 1948• Experienced the Second World War in their

childhood• Known as traditionalists in the USA• Joined the workforce when job opportunities were

abundant• 50% have spent at least ten years with their

current employer• 33% have spent more than 20 years with their

current employer

Definitions 2 of 4• BABY BOOMERS• Born between 1948 and 1963• Experienced a push for civil rights, the womens’

movement, union power and high inflation• Joined the workforce when there was high

competition for work and their success has often resulted from long working hours

• 50% have spent their last ten years with their current employer

Definitions 3 of 4• GENERATION X• Born between 1964 and 1978• ‘Thatcher’s children’• Many graduated into the worst job market since

the Depression and are used to uncertainty• 50% have spent at least five years with their

current employer

Definitions 4 of 4• GENERATION Y• Born between 1979 and 1991• The terrorist attacks of 9/11 and 7/7 had an

impact on a generation that grew up in a time of relative peace and prosperity

• Joined the workforce at the start of or within the economic boom of the past ten years

• 50% spent less than three years with current employer

Stat attack

Stat attack• There are 19M people aged over 50 in the UK. By 2021 this

is likely to have risen to 24.5M• By 2014 there will be more people over 65 than under 16• Over 1.6M people over 50 live in the Yorkshire and Humber

region• Over 500000 people aged between 50 and the state

pension age are now employed in the Yorkshire and Humber region

• Tests show comprehension and knowledge tends to improve up to the age of 70 while verbal reasoning either improves with age or remains stable

• Cognitively some older people perform at well above average according to research and physically active 65 year-olds do as well as active 25 year-olds

What barriers exist?

What barriers exist?• Cost• Attitude of directors• Attitudes of management• Attitudes of workforce• Customer profile• Attitudes of employee representatives• Trade unions

What can be done?

What can be done?• Monitoring age of job applications• Monitoring age of employees• Flexible working policy for older workers• Project/task group on age• Training for managers on age discrimination• Benefits policy without age criteria• Dedicated resource for age discrimination• No compulsory retirement age • Ban on age factors in training• Ban on age factors in promotion• Ban on age factors in recruitment• Age discrimination policy

Equality Act

Equality Act 1 of 4• WITH EFFECT FROM OCTOBER 2010• The basic framework of protection against direct

and indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation in services and public functions; premises; work; education; associations, and transport.

• Changing the definition of gender reassignment, by removing the requirement for medical supervision.

• Levelling up protection for people discriminated against because they are perceived to have, or are associated with someone who has, a protected characteristic, so providing new protection for people like carers.

Equality Act 2 of 4• WITH EFFECT FROM OCTOBER 2010• Clearer protection for breastfeeding mothers;

Applying the European definition of indirect discrimination to all protected characteristics.

• Extending protection from indirect discrimination to disability.

• Introducing a new concept of “discrimination arising from disability”, to replace protection under previous legislation lost as a result of a legal judgment.

• Applying the detriment model to victimisation protection (aligning with the approach in employment law).

Equality Act 3 of 4• WITH EFFECT FROM OCTOBER 2010• Harmonising the thresholds for the duty to make

reasonable adjustments for disabled people. Extending protection from 3rd party harassment to all protected characteristics. Making it more difficult for disabled people to be unfairly screened out when applying for jobs, by restricting the circumstances in which employers can ask job applicants questions about disability or health.

• Allowing claims for direct gender pay discrimination where there is no actual comparator. Making pay secrecy clauses unenforceable.

Equality Act 4 of 4• WITH EFFECT FROM OCTOBER 2010• Extending protection in private clubs to sex,

religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity, and gender reassignment. Introducing new powers for employment tribunals to make recommendations which benefit the wider workforce. Harmonising provisions allowing voluntary positive action.

Keeping older workers engaged

Keeping older workers engaged• Start early• Build a career path• Explain options offered by their pension scheme• Value their experience• Offer flexible hours and include

part-time/occasional working• Look at sabbaticals• Involve spouses in planning• Weigh up working conditions• Encourage good health• Keep in touch

Managing age diversity

Managing age diversity 1 of 3• Analyse your workforce profile in terms of age, as

well as the future impact of the changing generational mix

• Carry out an employee survey and analyse the views and motivations of different age groups

• Audit your internal communications channels to assess whether communications channels and styles are sufficiently flexible to meet the preferences of all groups of employees

• Ensure your employer brand conveys what is compelling about the organisation as a place to work for different generations

• Analyse career development opportunities for all members of the workforce

Managing age diversity 2 of 3• Provide flexible working opportunities that will

appeal to employees at different stages of their life

• Maximise opportunities to enhance coaching and mentoring across different generational groups

• Re-engage baby boomers by ensuring they are given appropriate developmental opportunities

• Re-evaluate your corporate social responsibility policies and practices to ensure they have cross-generational appeal

• Identify areas of commonality and build on them

Managing age diversity 3 of 3

• Avoid making unnecessary allowances• Mix up the generations• Encourage them to swap skills and

experiences• Avoid focusing on one particular

generation• Make the mixture of age groups a positive

thing

Achieving an all-age workforce

Achieving an all-age workforce• Don’t use age as a proxy for skills, ability, experience,

potential, attitude, commitment, ambition, motivation and loyalty

• Ensure senior managers are trained to be ‘age aware’ and understand the benefits of embracing age diversity. Help younger supervisors and managers understand and acquire the skills to manage and motivate an all-age workforce

• Understand the learning styles and preferences of older employees

• Help all employees challenge their prejudices by encouraging all-age working

• Adopt holistic ‘age management’ policies and practices such as ongoing training, job rotation, flexible working, secondments etc which allow employees to maintain their employability

• Get rid of any fixed retirement ages

Retirement

Retirement• Working without a retirement age• Working with a retirement age• Don’t….

Flexible working

Flexible working• Part-time working• Job-sharing• Flexitime• Compressed hours• Annual hours• Working from home• Mobile working and teleworking• Flexible retirement• Benidorm leave• Seasonal employment

Health & safety

Health & Safety 1 of 2• Ensure a job’s physical requirements are clearly

specified during recruitment and interviewing• Carry out risk assessments routinely not just

when an employee reaches a certain age• Assess the activities involved in jobs and modify

workplace design if necessary• Make adjustments on the basis of individual and

business needs, not on age• Consider modifying tasks to help people stay in

work longer, such as shifting responsibilities from physically strenuous to mentally challenging

Health & Safety 2 of 2• Allow staff to change work hours and job content• Don’t assume that certain jobs are too

demanding for older workers• Encourage or provide regular health checks for all

employees, regardless of age• Persuade staff to take an interest in their health

and fitness• Consider other legislative duties, such as the DDA

or flexible working legislation

Attraction

Attraction

• Remove from advertisements all age limits and requests for particular amounts of experience, unless clearly justified

• Remove age-related terminology such as ‘junior’• Think about whether you are limiting the reach of your

advertising through the channels that you use• Offer flexible working practices to attract older and

younger workers• Create links with the community to reach particular

age groups• Pay some attention to your brand as an employer and

promote the fact that you welcome employees of all ages

Recruitment

Recruitment• Consider whether the date of birth and other

indicators of age, such as the dates of qualifications and work experience, are necessary on the application form

• Remove the dates from CVs before passing them on to the people doing the assessing

• Ask for particular types of experience rather than the length of experience in the person specification

• Discuss the demands of the age legislation with agencies, and update contracts with these providers if necessary

• Put in place systems by which the performance of agencies on attracting age-diverse applicants can be monitored and ensure they understand that the success of their contract will be partly measured upon this

Assessment and selection

Assessment and selection• Use objective, criteria-based assessment and selection

techniques• Try to ensure that those doing initial screening don’t

know the applicants’ ages• Consider using electronic screening for the first

screening stages• Consider using telephone interviews to remove age

from the equation• Take notes at each stage of the process• Use clear job descriptions• Ensure recruiters and assessors are trained well so

that they don’t discriminate on the grounds of age when assessing and selecting candidates

Graduates

Graduates• Remove any limits based on age or year of

graduation from the entry requirements to a graduate scheme

• Ensure that the programme is advertised widely enough to reach graduates of all ages and establish links with a wide range of universities so that you reach a correspondingly wide range of undergraduates and graduates

• Don’t rely solely on UCAS points as entry criteria• Consider how your graduate programme is

branded-will it be perceived as accessible to graduates of all ages?

• Consider how people can enter your organisation. Have you got a variety of entry points?

Measurement and monitoring

Measurement and monitoring• Add an equal opportunities form that includes age

to your application pack or online recruitment system

• Record the age of applicants at each stage of the application process

• Consider setting up as working group or similar to examine this data in a systematic fashion

• Use the data to identify any areas of potential discrimination so that these can be addressed

• Don’t just measure-take appropriate action• Maintain confidentiality• Review your monitoring system to ensure it

remains fit for purpose

Communication

Communication• Make sure that all managers and employees

who are involved with recruitment are aware of the impact of legislation

• Produce a list of ‘dos and don’ts’ for agencies• Use as many channels of communication as

possible-email, the Internet, staff briefings, videoconferencing, podcasts, newsletters, notice boards and so on

• Provide diversity training that includes age• Reinforce messages with clear actions of

policies are breached• Sustain communication

Case studies

Conclusion & Questions

Conclusion

• Summary• Questions

ageism june 2010

Business

page 2contents3

banking10 years

current employer

tackling ageismby fluid

managing age diversity27

training hr consultancy

tim holden mcipd

older workers engaged23