Understanding older workers in Scotland

Download the report to find out more

Recommendations

The report makes recommendations for employers and policy-makers on recruiting and retaining older workers, including:

• Enhancing flexible working offering
  Increasing the availability and range of flexibility in a job role is even more valued by older workers, and employers should take steps to boost the provision and uptake of flexible working in their organisations. This CIPD has been calling for the right to request flexible working to be a day one right, together with other tweaks to the legislation, via our Flex From 1st campaign.
• Early and ongoing support for health and wellbeing
  Supporting the health of workers throughout their working lives maximises their chances of leading a healthy and active life as they get older. The importance of this is shown by the fact that over half of workers have a long-term health condition by age 60. Providing timely access to occupational health services to workers in their 20s and 30s with back pain or other musculoskeletal problems, can reduce the likelihood of these conditions becoming chronic. 
• Improving skills and training
  Ongoing training or career progression opportunities should be provided for older workers. The CIPD is calling for the introduction of enhanced and buildable individual learning accounts (ILAs). These would be designed around the principles outlined in the CIPD’s Skills to Grow report and should primarily be targeted at adult upskilling. 

Employers can also read our report Understanding older workers which focuses on older workers in the UK as a whole.