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Industry leaders vote to abolish retirement age
5 March 2002
Senior representatives from industry, healthcare andpolicy bodies yesterday voted overwhelmingly to abolish the pension age at anindustry debate. Delegates at Working Britain:2020 Vision - a debate hosted byBUPA at the Royal College of Physicians - discussed the results of revealingnew research by MORI that demonstrates the alarming extent to which employersand employees are unprepared to deal with the huge impending time bomb createdby an older working population.
They concluded that a potent combination of changingdemographics, an ageing population, increased life expectancy and economicpressures will result in significant changes in the way we work.
"If retirement is to become a thing of the past,everyone - employers and employees - must now begin to reassess how to respondto the inevitable changes that will alter the landscape of working Britain in2020", said Richard Worsley, co-director of the Tomorrow Project, anindependent charity carrying out research into the future of people's lives.
Third age consultant Elizabeth Mills said it was vitalthat society accepted the individual's right to choose how they work. "Forsome people that will mean choosing to work into later life while others willchange careers, work part-time or stop and start work as they balance work andhome life."
By 2020, more than one in four of the UK workingpopulation will be over current pensionable age. Pension shortfalls and feweryounger people will mean many people will have to work into their mid-70s,health permitting. However, disease patterns and workplace stress mean many maybe unable to do so and an older working population will have far-reachingsocial consequences, particularly on childcare and care of the elderly.
BUPA's Dr Natalie-Jane Macdonald, said the good news wasBritain was becoming better at preventing illness and reducing its impact onpeoples' lives. "The increased demands placed on health as a result of anolder population and higher expectations will come at a time when the workforce- those paying tax - is decreasing. This will impact on the central resourcesavailable to fund health, potentially placing more responsibility withindividuals and companies.
"I predict that good health will become as importantas qualifications. We will move from job security to health security - makinggood health increasingly good business."
The research, conducted by MORI for the BUPA HealthDebate, canvassed the views of nearly two thousand employers and employees andshows a massive gulf between expectations and reality. Nearly 60 percent ofemployees say they'd like to retire by the age of 65 and 11 percent of thoseunder 34 expect to retire before the age of 55. The vast majority of employees(73 percent) say they would be unhappy about working until the age of 70.
Physicalhealth
BUPA's group medical director, Dr. Andrew Vallance-Owensaid: "Chronic diseases may prevent people working into later life. A manor woman in their late sixties who suffers a debilitating stroke, or needs ahip replaced or cancer treatment, may have to take months off work."
The Tomorrow Project estimates that men can expect anaverage of fifteen years of illness or disability during their lifetime andwomen about 17.5 years. The World Health Organisation states the greatestthreat to health is the increase of chronic diseases. Unless major advances intreatment or prevention are made they will become more prevalent as lifeexpectancy increases. Diseases that affect the developed world such as somecancers, heart disease, diabetes and stroke are all on the increase.
"This new research reveals that employers areincreasingly offering health benefits, such as help to stop smoking, exerciseand fitness. This shift to personal health support shows that employers andemployees are putting the prevention of disease and improvement of health atthe top of their lists and encourages employees to take positive andpreventative action," said Dr Andrew Vallance-Owen.
Mentalhealth
Mental health may also be an issue which prevents peoplefrom working into later life. The BUPA research revealed that both employersand employees cited the management of workplace stress, as a major hurdle forthe future.
Employers are aware of the importance of minimisingworkplace stress. The vast majority of employers say they encourage employeesto seek advice for mental health or stress problems. However, although morethan half of employers interviewed (44 percent) say that their employees do notsuffer unacceptable levels of stress, 39 percent say they do.
"In addition to the current issues affecting stressand health, people will need to be equipped to deal with the inevitableemotional and physical changes associated with a longer working life. Greaterawareness of mental health issues must be a top priority for employers now, ifBritain's workforce is to have the motivation and ability to cope in thefuture," said BUPA medical director, Dr Andrew Vallance-Owen.
Socialstructure
Changing work patterns will have far-reaching socialconsequences for the future. If more people are working into later lifefamilies who hoped to rely on grandparents to look after children whilst theyworked, may find themselves in difficulty.
"Childcare already represents a problem for someyoung working parents. If the workforce changes are as anticipated, this couldprove a real problem for employers, employees and the state to grapplewith," said Dr Andrew Vallance-Owen.
Likewise an ageing population, increased life expectancyand economic pressures mean that there will simply not be enough carers to lookafter the ageing population.
Conclusion
"Society -the state, businesses and individuals - allneed to consider and take responsibility for the changes that will take placein working Britain in the next couple of decades. Action needs to be taken nowto prepare for the dramatic changes," said Richard Worsley.