The government’s Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride faced a backlash recently after suggesting, during a visit to the London headquarters of food delivery firm Deliveroo, that over 50s looking for work should consider delivering takeaways. Deliveroo has seen a 62% increase in delivery riders over 50 since 2021.

He said: “There are loads of great opportunities out there for people and it’s of course good for people to consider options they might not have otherwise thought of”.

​​ Tim Sharp, Senior Policy Officer for Employment Rights at the TUC, condemned Stride’s comments, suggesting that he could “risk glorifying the gig economy,” at the expense of workers’ rights. “Often pay is low, there’s often no job security, little if any employment rights. It’s not the solution the government should be thinking about,” he said.

Some compared his comments to those of Lord Tebbit (who was subsequently nicknamed “onyerbike”), who encouraged unemployed people to “get on your bike” to find work. 

When you’re over 50, however, is it really that easy? If the current working environment is unfairly rigged, as some might suggest, against over 50s, is it down for employees to “get on their bikes” and solve the problem, or can the HR profession reset the balance in their favour?

The number of people over 50 who were ‘economically inactive’ increased during the pandemic – the only age group to do so

‘Inactive’ ageing

According to figures from the ONS, the number of people over 50 who were ‘economically inactive’ increased during the pandemic – the only age group to do so. Around 8.6 million people are currently not working – around one in five working adults. More than 3.4 million of them are over 50 but below retirement age.

In short, there are a lot of over 50s who aren’t yet at retirement age who are unemployed – but why?

The study found that while retirement was the most common reason for leaving work (56% for over 60s and 28% for over 50s), ill health was also a factor for many – a problem that has been exacerbated by difficulties accessing care and delays in treatment, according to the The Health Foundation and the Institute for Employment Studies – but that doesn’t tell the whole story. 

“It’s a mixture of things,” Chris Brooks, Head of Policy at Age UK told The Guardian. “There are certainly people who are being forced out of work at the moment because there is still a lack of the right kinds of jobs available, which means if you have caring responsibilities or if you’re struggling with a health condition then it can make it quite difficult to find the right job.”

Over 50s shown the door

As companies are having to make difficult choices in the current economic climate, employees over 50 seem to be suffering disproportionately. 

They’re twice as likely to struggle to find a new job if they’re made redundant and often face age discrimination in recruitment, according to the Centre for Ageing Better.  

​​Anna Harris, 58, a journalist from Yatton, has experienced some of this first-hand: “Employers need to consider all those 50+ people they make redundant. This has happened to me in the past, as well as my husband and several other people I know, when they reach a certain age. No matter what skills and experience you have, once you’re hurtling through your 50s, no one wants to hire you – unless it’s in a factory or a supermarket (of course there’s nothing wrong with that – a job’s a job!) but what a waste of all those skills and experience. Are any employers listening?”

Research … found that 57% of people who have looked but not applied for a new job since turning 50 feel they would be at a disadvantage because of their age, and a third believe they have been turned down for a job because of their age

Tools for the job

The government is attempting to address workers’ concerns with the launch of its new ​​‘Midlife MOT’ tool, a digital initiative designed to help older workers with financial planning, health guidance and career skills. 

On this, Stride said: “You really do need to sensibly stop, take where you are in life, and assess whether for example you’ve got enough money to get you through with the kind of lifestyle and living standards that you’re expecting. 

“We tend to think everything is going to continue roughly as it is and you’ll always be able to find a job later on in life. I think it’s always valuable just to take stock every now and again and have a look at that.”

How helpful is this toolkit, however, if over 50s can’t even get the attention of employers in the first place?

Recruitment discrimination

​​Research conducted by IES for the Centre for Ageing Better found that 57% of people who have looked but not applied for a new job since turning 50 feel they would be at a disadvantage because of their age, and a third believe they have been turned down for a job because of their age.

The report outlined practical steps that employers could take to make recruitment more age-inclusive, as well as actions to avoid. 

Job descriptions that use potentially ageist language, not collecting age-related data or using this kind of data to inform decision making, an emphasis on the ‘cultural fit’ of candidates, unstructured interviews and ageist stereotyping could all disadvantage older workers in the recruitment process.

“Our research found that employers are keen to improve the diversity of their workforces and to ensure that their recruitment processes are inclusive to all applicants,” said Jenny Holmes, HR Research Consultant at IES. 

“Many employers who participated in the research believe that their workforce is age diverse, and therefore consider age less of a priority to address in recruitment. However, many employers acknowledged that they do not currently analyse recruitment data in relation to age, so cannot be certain that bias does not exist within their recruitment processes. Employers should be collecting and analysing age data in the recruitment process in the same way as they tend to track gender, ethnicity and disability.”

Job descriptions that use potentially ageist language, not collecting age-related data or using this kind of data to inform decision making, an emphasis on the ‘cultural fit’ of candidates, unstructured interviews and ageist stereotyping could all disadvantage older workers in the recruitment process.

Open up to over 50s or miss out 

With the cost of living crisis forcing some people on the cusp of retirement to keep working and, in some cases beyond it, in order to make ends meet, the number of over 50s remaining – or indeed trying to return to the workforce – is likely to increase. 

At a time when many employers are struggling to recruit for roles, this could be a golden opportunity.

“It’s in the interests of both employers and the economy to ensure older workers are not overlooked in the recruitment process,” – that comment was made by Ornella Nsio, former Campaigns & Government Relations Manager at the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, commenting on the 2021 Centre for Ageing Better report. The same is still true today.

She continued, “to make sure older workers are considered on their merits rather than written off, businesses need to rethink their recruitment process and adapt to more inclusive recruitment techniques. They will miss out on a wealth of talent and experience if they don’t do so.” 

In today’s challenging recruitment field, it might also be an opportunity to attract and retain employees from other groups, argued Harris. “Many of us over 50s would jump at the chance to work flexibly/part-time to use our valuable skills, alongside helping to train and mentor new starters, and potentially to fill gaps for working parents who also need to work flexibly. This seems like a real opportunity for employers – if they were willing to take it.”

If you enjoyed this, read: Over 55s are suffering from institutional ageism and it’s hindering the economy