Research shows people keen to stay in the workforce as they age

A new piece of research has found that the majority of people are keen to remain in the workforce as they get older, with over three quarters confident that they would still be capable.

This research was carried out by The Phoenix Group, a company offering retirement savings services. It shows that 78% of employees in the UK are sure that they will still be able to perform in the workplace at the age of 60. The percentage to feel that way drops dramatically when the age in question is 70 though. Only 49% think that they will still be able by that point.

The research also sought to find out what factors made people feel less confident about their ability to cope in the workplace as they get older. Some of the factors that respondents cited were reduced levels of motivation, poorer mental and physical health, and a generally low level of support for workers who are older.

Talking to HR Magazine, Rest Less co-founder Stuart Lewis  said that HR departments should do more to achieve age-inclusivity. That would require a change in the UK’s corporate mindset, which can be difficult to accomplish. Bringing in a corporate culture consultant can help individual firms to make a leap like this, however.

Lewis then added:

“Given that one-third of the workforce is now over 50, are you spending one third of your time thinking about how to attract, retain and retrain this core segment”?

He suggested that they should be viewed the same as other underrepresented demographics.