Age Concerned! Nearly a quarter of over-45s in Plymouth feel age discrimination in the office

Nearly a quarter of workers (21%) in Plymouth, aged 45 or older, believe they have been discriminated against in their workplace because of their age, according to a comprehensive study from recruitment site totaljobs, one of the UK’s most established job boards.
 
The report, which interviewed over 2,000 working people over 45, demonstrates a worrying level of employee nervousness around age-related issues, which are in turn being exacerbated by an unhelpful workplace environment. Health issues (35%), being out of touch with technology (24%) and being unable to learn new things as quickly (24%) make up the list of the top three work-related fears of the older workforce, leading just under half (47%) to admit that they 'worry' about younger competition when it comes to job seeking and progression.
 
To make matters worse, the report reveals a sense of 'environmental abandonment' within older workers – with nearly half (47%) stating that workplaces 'naturally cater towards younger employees' and when asked about their company's current provisions to accommodate an older workforce, a third (33%) said they were non-existent or sub-standard.
 
The significance of these findings cannot be underestimated against the backdrop of the UK's current population profile. Within 20 years, nearly a quarter of the population of the UK will be 65 or over. With people spending longer time in retirement, low-birth rates and longer life expectancy, there is an increased pressure on the working-age population to support retirees – making the delaying of retirement and remaining in the labour market crucial to alleviating said pressure.
 
To provide a solution of what is required in the workplace to support working into older age and longer careers, totaljobs combined the findings of the study with an expert panel, to create a vision for a future workplace that will cater for the UK's ageing workforce – of which a third will be over 50 years old by 2020.
 
The three-strong panel combined knowledge of state-of-the-art technology, architectural practicality, academic integrity and experience of the challenges facing older employees to visualise an office that looks to tackle the standout fears of older employees - physical health, cognitive health and integration within an age-diverse workforce. The experts were:
 
¥ Tommy Walsh – Ex-Ground Force star, who runs his own successful building business and advised on practical construction solutions, as well as his own experiences on the challenges of growing older in the workplace.
¥ Dr Kellie Vincent – MBA Director at Westminster Business School and an expert in the academics behind facilitating an older workforce, with a particular focus on the importance of maintaining cognitive health and harnessing experience.
¥ Christine Myers – Senior Workplace Consultant at MCM Architecture whose expertise on design and technology, in the context of the workplace environment, helped focus tackling issues on integration and health.
 
Working together, the trio created an office that provides some revolutionary, yet practical, solutions as to how work spaces will have to evolve to accommodate an retain an older workforce in the coming years. The full designs can be found here (https://www.totaljobs.com/insidejob/age-concerned-office-future/), but some of the more eye-catching solutions include:
 
¥ In-House Health Centre – With companies already providing private healthcare, the introduction of 'on-site' healthcare should become the norm – ranging from GP health services to nutritionists and personal trainers.
¥ Mind Spa – Whereas the 'In-House Health Centre' focuses on the physical, the 'Mind Spa' is a space that can be sectioned off to manage cognitive thought and mindfulness – increasing productivity and performance.
¥ Health Alert Desk System (HADS) – An app built into your workspace computer that provides health-orientated alerts on when you should take a break – be it for hydration, a quick walk or to prevent RSI through long-periods of typing.
¥ Zeitgeist Exchange Training – A training area designed to promote skills exchange between workers of different ages e.g. training on the latest new social media app use (young to old) vs. differences in international business cultures (old to young).
¥ Intelligent Kitchen – Kitchen/Canteen provided, with meals personally tailored to various health goals and type of work e.g. reducing cholesterol, fat loss, high protein, high energy.
¥ Tech Confidential – A 'safe space' to ask tech-related questions in confidence, without fear of looking dated.
 
Group Sales Director, John Salt, from totaljobs said: "Our research revealed some of the serious concerns facing employees and prospective employees with regards to getting older in the workplace and we believe that our office creation lays the path for a future geared towards this labour market shift.
 
"However, this office is not just for older workers – it's about creating an environment in which everyone can thrive, learn and be healthy together, regardless of age. For every negative connotation associated with older workers, there are benefits. Experience, confidence and knowledge naturally grow with age and our office is just as much about preserving and celebrating these qualities than managing decline.
 
"Most importantly, our office is not Star Trek thinking, it is designed to be plausible. The technology is sound, the architecture based on existing principles and several methods are already being introduced across workplaces across the country. Our advice to employees approaching this age bracket is to pursue your career without fear. The UK businesses that fail to accommodate older workforces are missing out, not you."
 
Dr Kellie Vincent, MBA Director at University of Westminster said; "Though this was a fun project to work on, the message is serious – we must adapt to the challenges an ageing population presents. Put simply, we are living longer, healthier lives and though this is part of the problem, it is also the key to the solution.
 
"A workspace that promotes health – both physical and cognitive – will reap the rewards of old and young employees alike. Academic studies are rich with evidence that you can manage and even improve cognitive health with age, so the old adage that 'you can't teach an old dog new tricks' is a fallacy and one we've actively tried to combat with this office."
 
Tommy Walsh said: "As I've got older, I've noticed a few aches and creaks I didn't use to have, but my ambition has never waned and I refuse to believe there will come a time when there is no need for the extra experience, confidence and savvy someone of my age could provide.
 
"The research also shows that 73% of our over-45s in Plymouth believe they are as adaptable to change as they have ever been, so we need to get rid of this cliché that you become a digital dinosaur after a certain age, or resistant to learning new skills. Employees of all ages should be able to share and learn with each other without fear and I hope some of the measures we've designed will go someway to achieving that."