Older workers ‘could try consultancy roles’

Ageing employees could be given advisory responsibility to allow them to extend their working lives and reduce the physical demands placed upon them, it has been suggested.

Pensions Management executive editor Charlie Thomas explained that with the default retirement age due to be scrapped in October 2011, employers could benefit from innovative approaches to utilising older workers' experience.

"It will become increasingly difficult for employers to get rid of more mature employees, but one solution could be to offer consultative or advisory roles," she said.

Ms Thomas added that a new law will ensure that from 2012, UK businesses will be obliged to automatically enter members of staff into some form of pension scheme, although individuals will have the right to withdraw if they wish.

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Bosses seeking advice on how to prepare for the man-management challenges thrown up by incoming government legislation should consider participating in the Talent Management and Leadership Development Summit 2010 next month.

Posted by Hayley Edwards