The CIPD, along with members of the 50Plus Choices Employer Taskforce, is calling on policymakers and employers to focus on flexible working as a means of recruiting and retaining older workers – who make up more than 30% of the working-age population. The task force's new report, Flexible after fifty, reveals that three-quarters (72%) of over-50s in the UK want flexible work to achieve a better work-life balance – with a third (34%) citing caregiving responsibilities and a desire for more personal time as key drivers.
Jo Churchill MP, the UK’s Minister for Employment, and Andy Briggs, Business Champion for Older Workers, asked the task force to examine the importance of flexible working for the over-50s and make recommendations for businesses and employers.
The task force is made up of representatives from a range of organisations with wide reach and influence: the CIPD, the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC), the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), UK Hospitality, Institute of Directors (IOD), Make UK, and Business in the Community (BITC). The group meets regularly with the Minister for Employment to discuss ways of championing work for the over 50's; they worked together to gather insights and distil their key recommendations in this new report, which they’ll present to the Minister.