Section 2 – For Trade Union Representatives

This section includes an action checklist for trade union representatives to consider and take forward regarding the ageing workforce.

Action checklist

  • Has your organisation used the Working Longer Group (WLG) age awareness toolkit to assess its readiness for an ageing workforce?
  • Does your organisation profile the workforce by age so that it can plan for potential retirements, and is this shared at partnership forum meetings? The Working Longer Groups recommend that this is done on a departmental level as well as organisation-wide.  If they did this they would be able to tell you what they expect the likely retirements would be over the next five to 10 years and this will help with workforce planning and identifying potential recruitment/retention problems.
  • Does your organisation break down its staff survey results by age? If so, what does this show about how older staff fell about their employment?  Is there room for improvement?  How can you work in partnership to achieve this?
  • Flexible working:
    • is the local policy up-to-date and does it comply with the relevant Partnership Information Network (PIN) policy?
    • are applications for and decisions made about flexible working monitored by protected characteristics, at the very least by age, gender and ethnicity?
  • Are disciplinary and capability issues monitored by age as well as other protected characteristics? This may show that older workers are more likely to face capability procedures than other staff.  Is the organisation assured that this is fair and appropriate?
  • Does your organisation offer mid-life development reviews? If not, why not suggest them?  These should be developed in partnership.
  • Do staff know where to go for pension advice within the organisation? Is this advertised?  If not, can you suggest this is done?
  • Does your organisation offer pre-retirement courses? Are these open to all staff?
  • Does your organisation’s occupational health service offer anything specifically for older workers?
  • Are all risk assessments undertaken with the age of staff adequately taken into account?

Useful information and resources

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