HR Industry News

Report calls for an end to retirement age

— 18 July 2007 —

A new report reveals that employers who do not enforce a fixed retirement age are overwhelmingly pleased with their decision.

Published by the Employers Forum on Age (EFA), the report aims to help HR professionals convince board members of the business case for scrapping the retirement age.

The End of the Line for Retirement Ages study says that allowing people to work beyond the age of 65 lifts a weight off employers’ shoulders and forces line managers to do a better job.

Employers also benefit from not having to spend on the retirement process; not having to ensure line manager consistency on retirement; and a there is a lower risk of legal challenges.

The report also reveals that employers found that removing the retirement age focused line managers on dealing with poor performers.

An EFA spokesperson is reported as saying that once employers got the message across to employees that this wasn’t about removing the right to retire or collect a pension the hardest job was done.

It says all of its members have talked about the need for a robust performance management system to ensure people are able to do the job after the age of 65, but agree that this is vital at all stages.

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