Improving Working Lives - except for older workers?

I have to admit that i haven't read the whole report (it is outstandingly and necessarily long), but have dipped into bits of it and as an 'older worker' I really don't see how they have come to the conclusion they have. A lot of the 'evidence' is subjective opinion - for example there are references to people being told that "they wouldn't be able to find any roles for them" as they were 62, however it is clear that this is referring to a recruitment agency and we all know that whilst there are some very good agencies out there, there are also some terrible ones, so it is not representative of employers as a whole.

They also make major assumption for example in relation to the bit about older workers being less likely to be given training. The implication is that it is because employers are discriminating, however it could be personal choice - my employer is willing to fund me to do the 1 year Masters Top up for my CIPD, but as I'm less than 10 years from retirement, i really can't see what the benefit would be to either me or the organisation. It would have been much more beneficial to me 10 - 15 years ago (i didn't work here then)

The vast majority of my friends are older than me and range between 52 and 74. None of them have every experienced any difficulties getting the type of work they wanted (i do acknowledge that may not be the case for everyone) and in general, they are like me - looking forward to retiring and seeing the world a bit.

So i am really in the camp that feels that more flexibility in work to enable people to deal with circumstances in their life regardless of age, gender or anything else is key really and there isn't a need for initiatives to support older workers specifically.

"The plural of 'anecdote' is not 'data'" as the old saying goes.

"The plural of 'anecdote' is not 'data'" as the old saying goes.