Business must open door to older workers

FIRMS must adapt their workplaces so they can take on more older workers, ministers say.

They want British companies to meet the challenges of an ageing society by helping people work well beyond the traditional retirement age.

The Government’s new industrial strategy also wants business to allow people to work more flexibly so they can look after elderly relatives.

The strategy, published yesterday, states: ‘As people lead longer, healthier lives, they will need to save and work for longer to ensure they have a secure retirement.

‘With an ageing workforce and fewer people entering the labour market from education and training, employers will need a more flexible labour market that can accommodate older workers.’

The Government has already appointed a business champion for older workers.

The White Paper also includes plans aimed at making the UK the world’s most innovative nation by 2030 by investing £725million to ‘transform’ industries.

The money includes £210million to improve early diagnosis of illnesses and the development of ‘precision medicine’ for patients.

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