United Kingdom: Workers Fear that Employers Won't Hire Them at 65

Nearly a third of respondents to a survey conducted in the United Kingdom for Help the Aged believe that employers will not want to hire older workers, despite new laws designed to prevent age discrimination in the workplace coming into force on 1 October. According to the poll carried out by GfK NOP, a majority of people think ageism is widespread in British industry and 25% of people approaching retirement age thought ageism would prevent them from working beyond 65.

Kate Jopling, Senior Policy Manager at Help the Aged, says: ‘Despite the Government passing new laws to protect older workers, many people simply don’t believe that British bosses will hire them once they reach 65. Employers need to realise that just because someone has reached a certain age, it doesn’t mean they aren’t fit for work. In fact, our survey shows that 80 per cent of people consider older workers to be more loyal and dedicated than many other age groups in the workplace.

Source: Help the Aged News Release (September 22, 2006)