Higher retirement age 'could lead to rise in older workers'

A higher retirement age might lead to an increase in the size of the country's older workforce, according to one organisation.

Meanwhile, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) believes that longer life expectancies could also fuel this rise in older workers.

Employers might face new challenges as a result of this growing trend, the Deputy Chief Executive of RoSPA, Errol Taylor, has noted.

He stated: "It's probably fair to say that most workplace safety practices make age-related assumptions about a worker's capabilities. As a result, our approach must undergo something of a step change."

The challenges Mr Taylor highlights were set to be discussed at the Age Management for a Maturing Workforce conference, which his organisation helped to stage last month.

Back in June, Age UK also published research which suggested that as many as 65% of those polled in a survey would like to see legislation relating to the issue of forced retirement abolished by ministers.

Posted by Liam Tomlinson.