Twenty-four per cent of men and 64 per cent of women say they plan to keep working beyond the state pension age, according to research commissioned by The Equality and Human Rights Commission.
Its research, Older workers: employment preferences, barriers and solutions, surveyed 1,494 men and women aged between 50 and 75 and found:
- 55% are unhappy with some aspect of their working lives.
- Asked about barriers to their ideal job, half say the availability of part-time or flexible work would help them.
- Responsibility for children continues, with 23% of 56 to 59 year-olds and 9% of 70 to 75-year-olds still supporting their children financially.
- 38% of men and 46% of women are not aware of the right to request flexible working available to adult carers.
- People in fair and poor health or with a disability were much less satisfied with their working hours than other workers.
- Among the unemployed who want to work, 37% of men and 50% of women say they need flexible arrangements to enable their transition back into work.
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Three out of five older workers say they are as physically capable now to perform their jobs as when younger.
The research was released to coincide with the launch of a set of proposals for fundamental changes to employment policies.
The policy, part of the Commission’s Working Better initiative, aims to address the chronic under employment, low-paid employment and low income experienced by older Britons.
The proposals include abolishing the default retirement age, the extension of the right to request flexible working to all, overhauling employer recruitment practices to prevent discrimination and improved training and development.
The Commission will be working closely with employers to develop guidance for organisations to implement non-discriminatory recruitment practices.
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