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Fit, willing and able?
Is Britain ready for 2020? - new MORI research says not
4 March 2002
Revealing new research demonstrates the alarming extent towhich employers and employees are unprepared to deal with the huge impendingtime bomb created by an older working population. A potent combination ofchanging demographics, an ageing population, increased life expectancy andeconomic pressures will result in significant changes in the way we work.
By 2020, more than one in four of the UK's workingpopulation will be over the current pensionable age. Pension shortfalls andfewer younger people will mean many people will have to work into theirmid-70s, health permitting. However, disease patterns and workplace stress meanmany may be unable to do so and an older working population will havefar-reaching social consequences, particularly on childcare and care of the elderly.
Richard Worsley, co-director of the Tomorrow Project, anindependent charity carrying out research into the future of people's lives,will tell a conference in London "Britain must wake up to the fact thatpeople will be working into later life. The current focus has been very muchabout pension provision, but the issues are much broader. Increased lifeexpectancy, changing demographics and greater economic pressure mean societywill require a healthy population, willing to continue working. Retirement aswe know it may become a thing of the past and this will have far-reachingconsequences for individuals, families and companies."
The research, conducted by MORI for the BUPA Health Debate'Working Britain:2020 Vision', canvassed the views of nearly 2000 employers andemployees and shows a massive gulf between expectations and reality. Nearly 60percent of employees say they'd like to retire by the age of 65, and 11 percentof those under 34 expect to retire before the age of 55. The vast majority ofemployees (73 percent) say they would be unhappy about working until the age of70.
The research will be presented to senior representativesfrom industry, healthcare and policy bodies on the 5 March at the Royal Collegeof Physicians. They will debate whether working Britain is prepared toaccommodate an older workforce and whose responsibility will it be to ensure weare fit for 2020? The conference will also debate the wider implicationsrelating to physical and mental health, social structure and care provision.
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."
Disease patterns suggest that Britain's population may notbe fit enough to work into its 70s. The Tomorrow Project concluded that men canexpect an average of fifteen years of illness or disability during theirlifetime and women about 17.5 years. The World Health Organisation states thegreatest threat to health is the increase of chronic diseases. Unless majoradvances in treatment or prevention are made they will become more prevalent aslife expectancy increases. Diseases that affect the developed world such assome cancers, 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 for thefuture.
Employers are aware of the importance of minimisingworkplace stress, but are doing very little. The vast majority of employersadmit they do not encourage managers to be aware of the mental state of theirworkers despite nearly half (44 percent) saying that their employees sufferedunacceptable levels of stress.
"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
"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.