This resource can either be viewed online or downloaded in pdf form here. It is designed to enable managers to find information on the challenges and opportunities an ageing workforce might present. It follows on from the Age Awareness Toolkit which was developed by the UK NHS Working Longer Group and adapted for Scotland by the NHS Scotland Working Longer Group. It has been published at the same time as a resource for staff and their representatives explaining their part in meeting the challenge of an ageing workforce.
Throughout this resource we will use the term 'older worker(s)' to denote staff aged 50 or over. We will also refer to 'working longer' as meaning working to a higher age before full pension benefits are payable.
The Working Longer Groups recognise the need to support managers in developing positive age management approaches, to support workers of all ages, and believe that this will have a significant positive impact on employment relations and service delivery.
A report from the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) - Managing older workers 2016 - identified that managers’ insecurity and lack of confidence with regards to older workers may be due to fear of difficult conversations and what is perceived as a legal minefield.
Caring for an ageing society while supporting an ageing workforce is one of the greatest, but perhaps the least understood, challenges facing the NHS, employers and staff. It is especially relevant for organisations facing recruitment challenges, as better strategies to retain and effectively deploy older workers can be overlooked in preference of other measures.
Background
The 2015 NHS Scotland Pension Scheme, which was introduced as a result of the Public Service Pensions Act 2013, saw the normal pension age (i.e. the age at which a member can claim their full benefits) set equal to state pension age (SPA). This means most current NHS staff will only be able to access their full NHS Pension benefits after the age of 65.
The UK and Scottish Working Longer Groups were established to address the impact of working longer in the NHS as a result of this change. The Working Longer Groups have produced a series of products designed to help address the challenges that managing an ageing workforce might bring.
This resource is divided into 6 Sections. Each section covers a particular topic. The Sections do not need to be read in a given order, but reading all of the Sections will help to provide a rounded view of the subject and the help available.