Talking Facts not Misguided Fiction

Sometimes having too much experience can hurt you.

Age discrimination is the most prevalent kind of discrimination in the workplace and Greydient has been launched to help challenge this by promoting equal opportunities for blue and white collar older workers across the UK.

At the heart of everything that Greydient  does and stands for then is our commitment to our community of older workers, we are passionate about the value that the older worker can bring to a business and to the economy as a whole.

Thankfully, there is also a growing group of age friendly employers who share this opinion. Employers such as Barclays, McDonalds, National Express and pioneers such as B&Q have long been advocates of the older worker. They have banished stereotyping and bias in the workplace by employing older workers and have shown that this practice not only increases diversity but also bottom lines too.

That’s right, employing an older worker helps to generate more revenues for the business that employs them. That’s a fact.

McDonald’s is said to have a 20% higher performance in outlets that employs workers aged over 60; whilst at coach operator National Express, almost 30% of its 1,700-strong workforce are over 50.

The company’s former HR Director Jenifer Richmond reveals the reasons why;

“For us, taking on and retaining older workers isn’t about compromising or bowing to political correctness – it makes sound business sense. We really value being able to have a good mix of older and younger employees as these often make up our best performing teams. Mixing with and learning from older staff is often the best way in which our younger employees and apprentices can learn, as well as being a great example of being reliable and having a positive work ethic.

It is also the case that our customer base is diverse in age, and it is important that we have a workforce that reflects that. As National Express continues to grow and expand as a company, the contribution made by our older workers very much forms part of the plan.”

Older workers are a big asset to any business.

• They bring more experience and a positive attitude to the work place
• They are loyal and trustworthy
• They can help mentor and develop younger workers
• They are healthier and more reliable
• They help their teams achieve higher performance levels

Additionally the facts show that older workers are healthier and more reliable too. In a study released in May 2015 by insurance company RIAS, it was found that just a quarter of over-50s took time off sick in the past year, compared to half of those aged between 20 and 29.

Our committed over 50s were also less likely to take time off due to a minor illness such as the common cold, and were also quicker to come back to work after being ill.

Finally, and with regards to being loyal and trustworthy, almost a third of 20 to 39-year-olds were found to see sick leave as an ‘additional holiday’ that they deserved and were entitled to, whilst 44 per cent of younger people were found to have faked being ill to avoid coming into work, compared to just 12 per cent of over-50s.

“I want to see more employers supporting older workers and taking full advantage of the benefits they bring to their business,” said Damian Hinds, the employment minister. “Older workers can bring decades of valuable knowledge and experience to the workplace.

“There are now more older people in employment than ever before which is great news, but we must keep up this momentum as our population ages.”

To summarise then, your business and the British economy needs older workers more than ever. That’s a fact.

In the UK alone there will be 13.5 million job vacancies that need to be filled over the next ten years. However there are only seven million young people projected to leave school and college over that time; a short fall that even taking account migrant workers, can be filled by the 1.2 million workless over 50s who want to get back into work. (Read the Missing Millions report here)

The message is clear.

A diverse workforce including later life workers is not only essential as the numbers of available job seekers dwindle but is also extremely beneficial to the success of any business.

Consequently feel free to continue or initiate your own older worker recruitment strategy by Posting a Job today.

Alternatively we are always happy to talk to you about the benefits of employing older workers and to answer any questions you may have.

Please get in touch.