Mature workers news round up – February 2022

Royal College of General Practitioners warns of ageing GP workforce, lack of recruits (NZ)

Booking in to see general practitioner is set to get even more difficult in years to come, and the Royal College of General Practitioners (RNZCGP) says action needs to be taken now to help a workforce in crisis.  – Radio New Zealand 16 March 2022

NHS to encourage older midwives to stay on and become ‘mentors’ to younger colleagues rather than retiring early (UK)

Around a third of UK midwives are over 50 with many thinking of leaving. NHS England is investing £8million in a mentoring scheme to retain midwives.  – Daily Mail 20 March 2022

Twice as many over-50s leaving labour market because of ill-health than retirement, union warns (UK)

Nearly twice as many older workers left the labour market because of sickness and ill-health than for retirement during the pandemic, a union has warned. Overall, the number of people aged between 50 and 65 who dropped out of the labour market, meaning they were not looking for work, increased by 228,000 (1.5 percentage points) since the start of 2020. But experts say in reality departures are caused by ‘often ageist’ system and urge businesses to reassess how they look after older employees.  – People Management 25 February 2022

Nearly Half of Hiring Managers Admit to Age Bias in Resume Builder Survey (USA)

Four in 10 hiring managers who hold responsibility for “some or most of the hiring at their workplace” admitted to age bias in a survey of industry professionals. Twenty-six percent of respondents said applicants’ relevant work experience, “even if it spans 25+ years,” should always be included on a resume. Thirty-eight percent of the 800 respondents — all supervisors, business administrators, or hr managers — said they “have caught themselves reviewing a resume with age bias,” citing concern of candidates’ inadequate tech skills and pending retirement.  – HR Dive 24 February 2022

Older workers after the pandemic: creating an inclusive labour market (UK)

There has been a significant increase in the number of older workers leaving the labour market before they reach state pension age. This has been driven by an increase in the numbers leaving because of long-term health conditions, and an increase in the numbers retiring from paid work. It has reversed long-term trends that have seen men and women extend their working lives over the last 25 years, and is damaging for both older people who are at increased risk of having to rely on inadequate working age benefits, and the wider economy which is experiencing skills and labour shortages.

Ensuring that older workers can participate in the labour market will require major changes in the workplace to ensure that older workers have the skills they need and that jobs and workplaces meet the needs of an ageing workforce. And making sure that those who are unable to continue working into their mid-sixties are not penalised as a result will require an overhaul of working and pension age benefits.  – Trades Union Council 23 February 2022

Ageing civil service poses skills transfer headache (Kenya)

The public sector is facing a reality check as its ageing workforce exits without passing on critical skills to younger workers, exposing the sector to disruptions. In the three years to June 2020, nearly 60,000 public servants retired. Many public sector institutions have a skills transfer policy, but many ministries, departments and State-owned enterprises have struggled to implement it. And now the ageing workforce is exposing the public sector to possible loss of key skill sets – a scenario that is forcing some entities to hold onto retiring employees longer.  – The Financial Standard 22 February 2022

China to delay retirement ages ‘gradually’ by 2025, after holding firm for seven decades

China’s life expectancy at birth has more than doubled from just 35 years in 1949, and population experts say its long-mandated retirement ages are impractical. The State Council decision is the latest move by Beijing to cope with a population crisis fuelled by nation’s falling birth rate, rapidly greying population and dwindling workforce.  – South China Morning Post 22 February 2022

Should women affected by menopause be legally protected in the workplace? (UK)

Under UK employment law, people suffering from a chronic illness or disability are safeguarded in the workplace, but should those experiencing menopause be afforded the same protection? Over the past couple of years, there has been a steady increase in the number of employment tribunal claims where the claimant has noted menopause as the reason for their grievance. There were 16 claims in 2020 compared to just six in 2019, and 10 claims in the first six months of 2021 alone. Should the findings in the House of Commons inquiry be favourable to supporting those experiencing menopause, we may see even more claims in 2022.  – Lexocology 21 February 2022

Worker wins £22k following ‘old white man’ comments (UK)

A worker who was called an ‘old white man’ by a colleague, whose comments eventually led to him being signed off work with depression, has won his claim for race and age discrimination at an employment tribunal. Mr Moore was awarded more than £22,000 in compensation after he suffered a barrage of abuse from his colleague Mr Owusu during his time working at Sean Pong Tyres in Rotherham. Moore claimed he was called “old white man”, “gay white man” and was told he was lazy and too old to do his job, which was often physically demanding and involved unloading and grading tyres for export.  – Personnel Today 21 February 2022

Workplace ageism: is there privilege in being the ‘right age’?

In a world of ageing populations, extending working lives is widely viewed as an economic necessity. With up to four generations working alongside each other, organizations must ensure that their workplaces are inclusive. The LSE’s Sharon Raj says age discrimination can lead to workplace ingroups and outgroups, which reduces information sharing and collaboration. She discusses ways to address ageism in the workplace.  – World Economic Forum 15 February 2022

Pandemic triggers exodus of older people from UK workforce

Since March 2020, the number of economically inactive 50 to 64-year olds has risen by almost 250,000.  – Financial Times 13 February 2022

IBM executives called older workers ‘dinobabies’ who should be ‘extinct’ in internal emails released in age discrimination lawsuit (USA)

The documents show IBM’s plans “to oust older employees from its workforce,” the plaintiff alleged. IBM spokesman told Insider that the company has “never engaged in systemic age discrimination.”  – Business Insider 13 February 2022

Japan could make room for Cambodian workforce to boost its economy

Faced with a decline in domestic workforce due to an ageing population, Japan now needs a foreign workforce to achieve its economic goals, a study published by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) said. A group of Tokyo-based public think tanks stated last week that Japan needs as much as four-fold of the current foreign workforce.   – Khmer Times 10 February 2022

Half of unemployed men aged 50+ out of work for a year or more, study finds (UK)

Half of unemployed men over the age of 50 have been out of work for at least a year, research has found, with experts calling on employers to change the way they recruit to support older workers. This was an increase of 69 per cent from pre-pandemic levels, and 59,000 higher than the same period in 2019.  – People Management 7 February 2022

The phenomenon of mature-age law graduates

Traditionally, law career paths saw high school graduates through university and onto a straightforward ladder up the tiers of promotion to partner. However, modern law students increasingly represent diversity in age and professional experience. We speak with some of the growing cohort of mature-age law students making the legal career switch.  – Law Society Journal 7 February 2022

Broadcaster takes BBC to court in ‘row over age discrimination’

Former BBC Newsline presenter Donna Traynor will begin legal proceedings against her ex-employers in an industrial tribunal court this week. The former ‘Newsline’ presenter  quit reportedly after being moved to other duties.  – The Independent 6 February 2022