Local authorities lead the way in creating a more inclusive workforce

In its analysis of Census 2021 data, the ONS looked at the occupations most dependent on older and younger workers and found that elected officers and representatives had the oldest age profile of all occupations. Just over half of people with this occupation were aged at least 60 years old, and with almost two in five (38%) aged 65 years or older.

The analysis also detailed a number of other local authority roles which are disproportionately staffed by older workers including:

• Librarians/library assistants - Around half of people in these roles were aged 50 years or older
• Care escorts – the largest age group of people who had this job were those aged 60 to 64 years (19%)
• Street cleaners – among the top 10 most common jobs for people aged 55 to 59 years old

Given these numbers, it is no surprise that local government is one of the most active sectors in signing up to the Centre for Ageing Better’s Age-friendly Employer Pledge.

Launched late last year, the Age-friendly Employer Pledge is designed to tackle ageism in the workplace as well as help employers resolve substantial skills shortages and vacancy rates.

Ten local authorities have already demonstrated their commitment to older workers by becoming the first councils in England and Wales to sign the Age-friendly Employer Pledge.

Councils including those serving Lincolnshire, Leeds, Cardiff, the Isle of Wight and the London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham have committed to taking action to improve the recruitment, retention and training of older employers by joining the free nationwide programme.

Pledge-signing local authorities span a broad range of sizes and profiles including urban unitary authorities and rural district councils. In addition, the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE), the UK’s leading membership network for public sector and local government professionals, has also signed the pledge.

On becoming one of the first organisations to sign the Age-friendly Employer Pledge, Solace managing director Graeme McDonald warned councils that with increasing numbers of older workers leaving the workforce, it was vital to hold on to as many talented, experienced individuals as possible.

Local authorities signing the pledge have committed to taking at least one action a year to improve the recruitment, retention and development of older workers. Signatories also commit to identifying a senior sponsor for age-inclusion within their workforce and ensuring that age is specifically named within their Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policies. Not only does the pledge give participants the impetus and guidance to take positive action towards becoming more age-friendly, it also creates the opportunity to learn from others within the local government sector and beyond.

As we seek to grow the pledge throughout its first year, we are really keen to have more local authorities sign up. Our intention is to facilitate sector specific groups to support the learning between similar employers. The more local authorities sign up, the more learning there will be that can be shared at scale.

Not only are local authorities often one of the biggest employers in any locality but we know that demonstrating good practice can also be an inspiration and influence for other local employers to follow.

Local authorities who have signed the pledge have told us that they see it as a significant milestone along their own paths to becoming more age-friendly. They understand that becoming an Age-friendly Employer sends a strong message to their own workforce and prospective employees that they value the contribution of older staff and the experience and knowledge they bring to their roles.

Local authorities who have signed the pledge are already demonstrating that they understand what older workers need and are taking steps to ensure that those needs are being met.

There is already a good understanding around the need for their employment offer to support flexible working, including reduced hours, agile working arrangements and part-time contract as well as supporting staff of all ages with learning and development opportunities.

Having an age-friendly outlook can also help improve the delivery of local authority services. Some councils are already using Age-friendly champions to ensure better insight into the barriers faced by our older residents and how access to services can be delivered more effectively.

For local authorities who sign our Age-friendly Employer Pledge, within the first year we would hope to see a raised profile in the council around age inclusive practices and more support internally for older staff. In turn, we would expect that older staff would feel more engaged and valued by their employer.

We’d expect local authorities to enjoy better retention of staff, something that has been highlighted as a real priority by some of the councils who have already signed the pledge. We would also expect local authorities attract a wider pool of talent to recruit from and spending less money on unnecessary recruitment.

With an older population that is becoming both larger and more diverse, it has never been more important for employers of all sizes to be age-friendly and show that they recognise the importance of older workers.

Local authorities have the opportunity to be at the vanguard of the Age-friendly employer movement. They will gain from becoming a more attractive employer to a wider talent pool of workers to help meet skills and labour shortages while also benefiting from increased engagement with existing employees.

In addition, local authorities’ positive Age-friendly actions can have a ripple effect amongst businesses and other organisation within their area who will take encouragement to sign up and demonstrate their own commitment to harnessing the skills and talents of older workers.

This piece first appeared in The Municipal Journal.