Offices around the UK could soon see a shift in dynamics if the default retirement age is removed.
Many people have said that age diversity would have a positive impact on the workings of the office, and experts are now saying that it would have an effect on the economy as well.
Simon North, co-founder of Position Ignition for Organisations, told HR Magazine that the use of mature workers would let employers retain skills that they may otherwise lack. They would also bring valuable experience to the workplace.
On a more practical level, older workers could bring more flexibility to the office space, by mobile working or working from home.
Mr North told HR Magazine: “For companies, retaining critical skills is, and will continue to be, an important issue. There will be some employees whose skills and experience are difficult, if not impossible, to replace and whilst it is tough to analyse and put a cost on them, there will be a risk to organisations of not being able to replace these key workers.”
He did point out, however, that flexibility was key to retaining older workers.
The Office for National Statistics suggests that 900,000 older people in the UK now work beyond the age of 65.
