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Product category: Manufacturing industry news
News Release from: Cranfield School of Management
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial Team on 04 February 2005

Employers overlook UK ageism legislation

Employers are failing to gear up for legislation that will outlaw ageism at work, a special report from the Recruitment Confidence Index has found.

Employers are failing to gear up for legislation that will outlaw ageism at work, a special report from the Recruitment Confidence Index has found The research into attitudes to age among nearly 1,500 employers found that only just over a third (39%) had introduced age policies at work with a further one in four planning to introduce policies over the next 12 months

But nearly one in three - 30% - had no clear plans despite looming legislation that will make it illegal to refuse someone a job, promotion, training or benefits because of their age from October 2006.

The research also reveals that hundreds of bosses are unaware of the ageing workforce and the declining pool of younger talent.

One in five employers said they had no knowledge of population changes and one in four claimed any such changes would have no impact on their businesses.

The Recruitment Confidence Index (RCI) is a quarterly survey of UK directors' and managers' expectations of changes in recruitment activity and business conditions.

It is produced by Cranfield School of Management and the Daily Telegraph in association with Personnel Today magazine.

The research special into employers' attitudes towards age has been sponsored by RHL Executive Search.

A repeat of research carried out in autumn 2003, the survey has found little change over the past 15 months.

Commenting on the findings Shaun Tyson, Professor of Human Resource Management at Cranfield School of Management said: "There is clearly a sizeable minority of employers for whom ageism is a non-issue.

They are making a big mistake because attitudes towards age are not just about compliance with the law, but are about the availability of high quality people in the workforce".

He opined: " Good people come in every race, gender and age." The research shows that age stereotyping affects young and old alike.

Nearly half - 45% - of respondents say older workers lack technological skills; 23% say older people are slow to learn and 22% say older people are not interested in training.

Younger workers on the other hand are viewed as 'inexperienced' by 60% of employers, prone to take sick leave (52%) and as 'unreliable' (37%).

However, a sizeable number of employers are also aware of the benefits an age diverse workforce can bring to the business.

They say age diversity reduces turnover (53%) improves moral (41%), raises productivity (35%) and increases profits (16%).

Richard George, managing director at head hunter RHL Executive Search said: "Introducing age diversity into the workforce adds stability and experience to teams and offers more balanced management styles.

It also provides another perspective on the ageing of the client and customer base and the rise of the grey pound".

Classified sales manager at the UK's 'Daily Telegraph' newspaper, Chris Lloyd, said that the findings should serve as a wake up call to employers.

He added: "We are seeing fewer and fewer references to age in job advertisements but this doesn't mean employers have a more sophisticated approach towards age.

The obvious benefits that accrue from employing a diverse age range means that whatever the law says, employers are missing a trick if they don't start working hard to eliminate age prejudice throughout the organisation.

* About the Recruitment Confidence Index - the Recruitment Confidence Index is a quarterly survey of public and private sector employers that measures expected changes in recruitment activity and business conditions during the next six months.

It also looks at recruitment methods, skills shortages, staff turnover and pay rates.

The RCI was set up five years ago by Cranfield School of Management and the 'Daily Telegraph' and is currently produced in association with Personnel Today.

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