Title: Age discrimination is still seen as okay in the workplace | Guardian sustainable business | The Guardian
Headings: Age discrimination is still seen as okay in the workplace
Age discrimination is still seen as okay in the workplace
Oliver Balch
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Older people: the demographic dynamo

Content: Making plans for an ageing workforce
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Despite a widespread expectation that this figure is set to increase, only a small minority of businesses are taking the issue of an ageing workforce seriously, says Christopher Brooks, policy adviser on employment and skills at Age UK. “ It makes sense from a business point of view that companies are using the skills and expertise that all ages bring to their workforce”, he says. Research backs up the benefits of a more age diverse workforce. Up to the age of 70, older workers are just as productive as their younger counterparts, a government report argues [PDF]. Mixed-aged teams, meanwhile, are shown to increase the relative productivity of older and younger workers alike [PDF]. Yet a recent labour market study by the private sector membership group Business in the Community (BITC) suggests companies are missing out on such benefits by failing to attract and retain older staff. Failure to implement age-sensitive policies such as flexible working and part-time contracts often forces older people out of the workforce, especially those trying to juggle ill-health and caring responsibilities. And once out, the hurdles to get back into work can be huge. “ There’s a minority group of people who can get stuck out of the labour market and find it impossible to ever work again, even though many of them would like to,” says Brooks. Ageism: