Grey area: Taking pride in older employees

The chief executive of Clugston Group also realised that the company was putting itself at risk by potentially losing the knowledge and skills of its long-serving workers.

“I discovered that they have much-needed experience and skills that can often be overlooked because we just take it for granted that we can rely on them,” says Martin.

Following Martin’s experience on the programme, the company formalised the support it provides to its older workers and also set up a mentoring scheme for older workers to assist new starters and less experienced site teams.

One of these mentors, Dick Sutton, is now 71 and Martin says he is recognised throughout the business as an inspiration to many employees.

In total, 35 per cent of Clugston Group’s 500-strong staff are over the age of 50, including three who are over 70.

In the last couple of years, 36 new recruits at Clugston Construction have been over 50, with 10 of these aged over 60 at the time they joined the firm.

Martin says the retention of experienced workers is very important to the family business. Older employees receive the same access to training and development programmes as younger members of staff.

Through the use of “age profiling”, the management team are also able to assess their current position in relation to those who may be considering retirement as an option. This also highlights where open discussions about future plans in regular review conversations should also include potential retirement.

“There is undoubtedly more that we could be doing, such as looking into more flexible working arrangements and assisting employees with navigating the care system,” says Martin. “We will remain open and receptive to considering how best to improve the employment experience for our older workers.”

According to Age UK, the number of older workers is set to grow over the next few years. Between 2012 and 2022 there will be an extra 3.7 million workers between 50 and State Pension age, coupled with fewer young people entering the world of work.

Heather O’Donnell, chief executive of Age UK Leeds, says that while many businesses understand the demographic changes, concerns about the law and misconceived stereotypes can create barriers for older workers.

Age UK has joined forces with the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) to highlight the skills and experience of the older workforce while showing businesses how to recruit those over 50.

O’Donnell says: “There is a perception about ability and productivity of older people but research shows there isn’t a reduction in productivity in relation to age and that having a mix of ages actually increases productivity. There is also an issue around flexible working. This doesn’t just apply to older people but often this group has a need around flexible working, if they have caring responsibilities for example. Offering that flexibility offers more opportunities.”

Another Yorkshire company which recognises the value of older workers is Ronseal, a Sheffield-based, wholly-owned subsidiary of multi-national coatings manufacturer the Sherwin Williams Company.

The firm introduced a range of policies to support older worker retention, including flexible working arrangements, a supportive approach to “return to work” and a “can do” attitude towards making workplace adjustments for employees’ changing needs. In addition, Ronseal has ensured recruitment processes are age neutral.

The number of 50 to 64-year-olds in the West and East Yorkshire labour market rose by 3.1 per cent in the year to November 2015.

Economically active over-65-year-olds rose by 10,000 more men and 2,000 more women – an increase of 8.8 per cent over the year.

However, Chris Ball, specialist adviser on the ageing workforce at Shaw Trust, says 50 to 64-year-olds have the highest long-term unemployment rate.

“The Humber LEP [local enterprise partnership] region, like others, is facing a number of challenges, to which mobilising and retaining older workers would seem an obvious answer,” he says.

“There is good evidence that older workers can contribute strongly to economic growth and productivity.”

Ball believes that older workers could contribute to filling gaps in sectors where there are skills shortages, such as engineering.

“New patterns of flexible working, mentoring younger employees, adapting working conditions and a better approach to training throughout the life course could all help to stem the loss of skilled and capable people whom enterprises and the economy can ill afford to lose,” he says. “Employers will need joined-up strategic approaches to ensure this happens.”

Last year, Barclays Bank took the unusual step of designing an apprenticeship programme to help people over the age of 24 who have been out of work for more than 12 months to re-skill and enter the workplace.

Since the Bolder Apprenticeship scheme went live in August, Barclays has offered positions to five 
apprentices aged between 45 and 59 in Yorkshire.

Martin says: “I have just turned 50 myself this week and it has brought home to me the maxim that, whether we like it or not, we are all getting older and we should always treat people how we would wish to be treated ourselves.”

Ball adds: “Much Government policy over the past years has focused on the plight of the NEETs [Not in Education, Employment or Training] and younger unemployed whilst the needs of the older person in the labour market have been neglected. This omission must now be corrected.

“This is not just a matter of ‘being nice to older workers’, however – it is a question of sound sense and recognising a great economic opportunity when you see it.”