Public Health England (PHE) intends to pilot a strategy to identify how older workers can be supported in the workplace.
PHE focussing on supporting older employees
The strategy is planned to launch in Greater Manchester to highlight the assistance older workers require if they wish to work longer hours.
PHE revealed that this comes as part of a new plan which focuses on improving the overall health and wellbeing of employees in the workplace.
Sam Haskell, the Healthy Adults Policy Implementation manager, spoke at the Future of Health, Work and Wellbeing on behalf of the PHE and explained providing support to older workers was high on the PHE’s agenda.
‘As people live longer and people choose to work longer – some of them have to, some of them want to – we’re interested in what support they might need to make the most of that. We know that if work can be configured correctly then working longer can be good for people’s health and wellbeing, not necessarily bad.
We’ve got some EU funding for a project to develop a strategy for older workers which we’re going to try and pilot in Greater Manchester. We’ll then see how that goes next year and any learning I’ll be taking back to the national team. Depending on the success I can’t make commitments about what will happen but it’s an area we’re looking into and are interested in.’ Haskell explained.
‘Our [PHE’s] ambitions this year are about improving the health and wellbeing of adults in workplace settings, but then also reducing the ill health associated with unemployment,” Haskell continued.
I think if we do the first without the second we could actually be increasing inequalities rather than reducing them which would not be good for anyone.’
This comes as a pleasant surprise for older workers as they often find themselves marginalised.
