Forties People

Pensions minister Malcolm Wicks said the problem of age discrimination was growing despite skills shortages and a shrinking working population.

Speaking exclusively to Personnel Today, he said HR professionals should be doing more to break down the barriers facing older workers and helping to dispel some of the negative attitudes.

"I don't think employers are doing enough, although there are some frontrunners leading the way," he said.

"Employers should be challenging HR departments to get rid of unhelpful stereotypes of older workers and asking questions about how the business can open up the issue."

He said forthcoming laws, that will outlaw age discrimination in 2006, would encourage employers to look at the business benefits of recruiting more older workers.

However, he dismissed calls for more financial incentives, such as tax breaks for staff and businesses when working beyond the traditional retirement age.

Wicks also explained that the Government was trying to make the UK more pension literate, but admitted it's worried about the number of organisations closing final salary schemes.

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