Sarah Vickerstaff and Wendy Loretto Age Discrimination, Ageism and Older Employed Workers
UNCERTAIN FUTURES: MANAGING LATE-CAREER TRANSITIONS AND EXTENDED WORKING LIVES This ESRC-funded mixed methods research, which includes quantitative data (ELSA, HRS and NCDS) and organisational case studies, makes a distinctive contribution to our appreciation of the drivers and inhibitors for extending working life (EWL). Please visit our website: https://www.kent.ac.uk/extendingworkinglives/findings.html for articles and papers that elaborate on our findings Page 2
Parallel research: Older people and Employment in Scotland Qualitative study: Feb-Apr 2017 Explored opportunities & challenges related to the employment of older people Older People s perspectives 42 interviews across central Scotland (n=44 as 2 couple interviews) Participants aged 50-71 Mix of employed, self-employed and unemployed Range of sectors, occupations and financial circumstances Scottish Employers views 21 interviewed Mix of focus groups & telephone interviews Range of sectors and sizes 3
Policy developments The last decade has seen unprecedented policy reform and development across a number of spheres which impacts upon extending working lives issues: Equalities legislation (2006) No default retirement age (2011) Changes to state pension ages (1995/2011/2014 ongoing) Pension reform and auto enrolment Welfare reform (incapacity benefit to employment support allowance) Right to request flexible employment extended to all (2014) Page 4
Individual choice Employer action? Much of the policy discussion stresses that the impact of these policy reforms is to extend individual choice about when and how to retire. In reality these policy changes firmly place the onus on employers to recruit and retain older workers. However, our research found little evidence that organisations have begun to work through the implications of an ageing workforce. Page 5
ESRC Case studies: Interviewees CASE STUDY HR managers/ occupational health Line managers Employees (Over 50/under 50) Trade unions Total Local Government (LG) 5 9 37 51 Transport (TR) 6 6 19 2 33 Hospitality (HO) Engineering and Manufacturing (MA) 3 5 22 30 13 5 26/3 1 48 Extractive Industry (EI) 5 6 10/5 26
Focus on unintended consequences of policy changes Concerns about discussing retirement in the context of age discrimination legislation. Balance between age specific and generic interventions. Age stereotypes and internalised ageism and their implications Page 7
Age Discrimination and Ageism Employers are very aware of age discrimination legislation and we found little evidence of overt discrimination; however, the implications of the law were being interpreted very defensively with some perverse consequences. In particular, it was believed that you cannot talk to anyone about their retirement plans for fear of being accused of ageism. This was unhelpful for both employer and employee. There was also the feeling that you can no longer make informal adjustments for older workers. Page 8
Who is talking about retirement? But obviously we have quite a lot of mature people on site and we cannot mention retirement or, even if it s on, you know, it s their decision. (Female employee, Manufacturing) if I don t have almost this default retirement age to prompt it how do I raise the issue. You know, what if I'm clumsy about it and then the person gets upset. So yeah, I think some people would just avoid the issue, whereas a good manager would probably say, you know, what are your aspirations, what development do you want, what are your plans for the next few years? And they could get to that discussion anyway. (HR Manager Local Government) But actually there is an expectancy from employees that are just sort of like, I should be getting this data [about retirement options], why haven t you contacted me? So there is confusion there. (HR Manager Transport) I know they re not allowed to come and discuss retirement and everything with me, or what my plans are, but no one s even come and said now you re 65, what do you want to do or is there something we can do for you? (Employee Manufacturing) Page 9 Footer text
Consequences: It makes workforce planning more difficult: whereas before you could plan and you d have 20 people retiring in 2015, I have absolutely no idea now who is actually going to go. (HR Manager Transport) A driver may only give a month s notice and yet it takes eighteen months to recruit and train a new driver. This uncertainty is scary (Line Manager Transport). Employees want to discuss what they still think of as their retirement but don t know who to talk to and/or may worry about signalling their intention to go. Page 10 Footer text
Losing Flexibility Due to Equalities Legislation we used to have what they call green carded drivers, so they could still drive trains but they couldn t go on the main line. So basically they were shunter drivers and they were doing the shunting in the yard. So there was a bit more walking around but you didn t have to concentrate on the main line stuff But now with equal opportunities, one shift really, so everyone does all--, green cards, they ve got rid of them now. (Male Operations Inspector, Transport). I remember doing quite a few at the time, and just, you know, after we had to pull the policy [phased retirement], we were just left a little bit with a kind of black hole of well, we ll just have to do it by feel really, because it was just I think when the.. kind of the whole age retirement, you can t say.. age discrimination retirement issues changed, there is a bit of scaremongering that you can t say retirement, because people don t retire they just resign. (HR Manager, Manufacturing). Page 11
Age specific versus generic measures Manufacturing had got rid of its wind down scheme for people moving to retirement on the grounds that it might flout discrimination legislation. There was a widespread feeling that you cannot target a policy at older workers: i.e. opportunities for flexible working Safe havens or lighter duties are also felt to be potentially discriminatory Page 12 Footer text
Stereotyping: Where are we going to park all the zimmer frames? (Male employee, Manufacturing) I don t really want a job with responsibility, I don t want too much training I ve done it all before. It s too late, I m too old, I d probably fall asleep on the course or something. (Male employee, Transport) Well it s going to be longer--, short term absences tend to be the younger people, but older people tend to have little absence, but when the absences are there they re going to be longer term. And also think of, your cancers and whatever else. I know that you can t discriminate, but they do tend to be, as one gets more mature they tend to become problems. (Female employee, Manufacturing) Yeah, because no one would listen to me, I m a dinosaur, you know what I mean? I ve been further backwards than most people down there have been forwards, do you know what I mean? (Male employee, Transport) Page 13 Footer text
Job blocking: making way: And a whole generation is then missing out on going to work, you know, because the ones that are now sort of in between the 25 and 35, if they re still unemployed now and we re going till we re 65, they may never work, because we re there where they could be. (Female employee, Hospitality) but there is a imbalance because older people staying at work longer are taking up jobs that younger people could or should be doing and want to do and need to do. You know, I suppose there s a finite number of jobs available. (Male employee, Manufacturing) Cause all the time you re working a year after retirement you re stopping somebody else getting a job, you re keeping somebody else in the dole queue basically cause that job s not there for them (Male employee, Extractive Industry). I actually have a problem with people working longer cause--, guilt s not the right word, but there are lots of young people who can t get jobs, you know. (Male employee, Transport) Page 14
Insecurity: hanging in Job-related insecurity was widespread amongst the staff in the Local Gov. where restructuring was being dealt with through redeployment or voluntary redundancy or early retirement: You re not naturally in control of your own destiny anyway, in terms of they might decide that this job, you know, we can t afford to do it anymore and something else will have to happen or we ve got too many people doing it, so we ll move you again. (Male employee Local Gov) I mean there was no way you could prove it obviously, but a lot of people who ended up not with a job, or not with a job they originally wanted, were the older people. (Female employee, Local Gov) I think it s to my advantage to not tell people my age anyway. I think people will think, oh she ll start slowing down and she won t be able to do her job, if they knew my age. (Female employee Local Gov). Page 15 Footer text
Hang on to the job you ve got I m mindful that, you know, reading the press, people who are over 55 you don t always get a job So that s a bit worrying (Female employee Local Gov). So have you talked to your line manager about your osteoporosis? No. I ve kept it to myself and I know that s a bad thing and I shouldn t do it, but I cannot afford at this present time to lose my job. So really you just really have to hide the problems so that you can keep going. (Female employee Hospitality). As you get older, it is a lot harder to find a job. So I think, whereas if I was in my twenties and I was unhappy, I would go and find something else, you know, at my age, not so easy. (Female employee Hospitality). At the end of the day, you know, you need the money. It s a job. There s not much out there so, you know, at my age I m not going to change now. The older you get, you think well, you know, you re not going to find anywhere. (Female employee Hospitality). Page 16 Footer text
The problem with ageism Like all stereotyping ageism treats everyone the same; arguably people get less like each other due to accumulation of life experiences. Not just something done to people because of their age but also internalised ageism. Internalised ageism will impact behaviour and sense of entitlement. Does internalised ageism contribute to the acceptance of casual ageism? Page 17 Footer text
Policy messages: Despite major policy developments and reforms effecting retirement timings and transitions, which put the onus on employers to manage new work endings there is as yet little evidence that employers have really begun to work through the implications of an ageing workforce. The Fuller Working Lives; Partnership Approach recognises that there is still a communication gap here to be filled. A defensive response to age discrimination legislation is getting in the way of managing older workers effectively: conversations about retirement, career management, retirement courses and flexible work options. Employers need better advice about age discrimination legislation and how to talk to, and frame policy for, older workers. Ageism has many manifestations and even those in relatively secure work may feel vulnerable and/or guilty about their employment, more age positive messages are needed. Page 18 Footer text
Anything different in Scotland? Employers seemed more aware of imperative to recruit, retain and retain older workers But not much action beyond retention Same issues of fear of discrimination and internalised ageism Highlighted flexible working gap employers identified this as main way of retaining older employees but the older people themselves were not aware of their rights or possible opportunities Need to bring together older people wanting to work (for longer) and employers looking for older employees Work ongoing with Age Scotland and Business in the Community Scotland to raise this mutual awareness. Page 19 Footer text
Thanks to all the people involved with the project: David Wainwright and Andrew Weyman (University of Bath) Wendy Loretto and Laura Airey (University of Edinburgh) Ben Baumberg-Geiger, Amanda Burns, Mariska van der Horst and Sue Shepherd (University of Kent) Mark Robinson (formerly of Leeds Beckett University) Chris Phillipson (University of Manchester) David Lain (University of Newcastle, formerly University of Brighton) Charlotte Clark and Amanda Fahy (formerly of Queen Mary, University of London) Joanne Crawford (Institute of Occupational Medicine) Colleagues at ILC-UK And to all the managers and employees who generously gave of their time to be interviewed. Page 20