Andrew Kail, CEO, Legal & General Retail Retirement, commented: “The number of job seekers in their 50s and 60s who believe they are not finding work because they are ‘overqualified’, too close to ‘retirement age’ or more expensive shows how difficult the recruitment landscape is for those wanting to get back into work or stay in work longer. With the state pension age rising to 68, and the prospect of planning for an income well into our 90s, many older workers simply can’t afford to retire. It’s therefore vital that we move towards a job market in which older people are not overlooked.
“At Legal & General, we recognise the huge value that an age diverse workforce brings. We have teamed up with Rest Less, to support over 50s in their employment search and to further solidify how we as a company can be a better age diverse employer. In addition to targeted recruitment and support for candidates, we’re also committed to promoting an inclusive multi-generational workforce and we’re piloting a number of initiatives; my executive team are being reverse mentored for example, with employees representing a number of diversities, including older workers.”
Stuart Lewis, Founder of Rest Less, commented: “We hear from our members on a daily basis about the challenges they face when it comes to age discrimination. Despite age being a legally protected characteristic, discrimination on these grounds is all too common.
“We are delighted to partner with Legal & General to help them realise the benefits of an age diverse, multi-generational workforce. With almost all of the UK’s future population growth set to come from the over 50s in the coming decades, employers who lean into this trend and start embracing the wisdom, experience, skills and perspective of workers in their 50s, 60s and beyond will be the ones that thrive in the coming decades. We are very much looking forward to supporting Legal & General in helping them harness the power of an age inclusive workforce.”
