Anne Willmot, Age at Work Director, Business in the Community, said: “Business in the Community warmly welcomes today’s report on older workers and employers from the Women and Equalities Committee, which adopts many of the recommendations we have called for. Supporting flexible working from day one and specific paid and unpaid leave for carers will enable employers to retain the skills and expertise of workers of all ages – older and younger alike - which is vital for the UK economy, recognising the UK’s ageing population and workforce. In light of the gender pay gap reporting, we are particularly keen to see measures that support older women, particularly those in low paid roles, to gain, sustain and progress in work.
“We also support the recommendation for larger companies to report publically on the age profile of their workforce. While we recognise that this will require some additional administrative effort by employers, many leading employers already analyse their workforce data, and we believe that it will be a strong catalyst for action and will enable employers to reap the tangible benefits of retaining, retraining and recruiting older workers.
“Yesterday Business in the Community and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) published a new video and toolkit for employers to introduce them to different ways in which they can support their older workers in their careers. We note the committees’ recommendation for developing the role of the Government’s Champion for Older Workers with interest and welcome the opportunity for discussions with officials, businesses and partners to understand what support would be most valued and the best solutions.”
