Age matters : Employing, Motivating and Managing Older Employees

by Keren Smedley and Helen Whitten

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Price: £75
From: Gower Publishing Ltd
Contact: www.gower.com
ISBN: 978056686809

Reviews

The new age discrimination regulations have thrown some of the HR population into a spin. After spending 18 months ignoring their imminent arrival, they now have no choice but to deal with them.

This handbook could do a lot to calm fevered brows as it covers nearly every HR management issue related to the ageing employment pool.

It is packed with statistics and perspectives on the ageing workforce, from the UK to the rest of the world. It is all well researched and could be valuable support material for presentations and board sessions.
The cover price seems high, but the authors have compiled some thorough exercises on awareness-raising. It includes guides to running one- and two-day programmes on cascading age discrimination know-how throughout an organisation, and introducing age-inclusive working practices. I guess this is good value for money when compared with the cost of hiring a consultancy to carry out such activities.

I particularly liked the tenacity with which the authors tackled the tough issues of motivating older employees. There is plenty of handout material for disillusioned staff who might need help with finding their focus at work.
It is a very sensible package too, with sections on achieving an age-inclusive culture, monitoring inter-generational working and evaluating progress.

Ethical and performance focused as it is, this guide would prove useful for anybody involved in HR, employment planning, and organisational development and training.

Useful? 5 out of 5 stars
Well-written? 4 out of 5 stars
Relevance? 5 out of 5 stars

Stephanie Sparrow (About this Author)

Training Magazine14 December 2006 14:38. This article first appeared in Training magazine. Subscribe online and save 20%.

A consequence of the European Employment Directive 2000/78/EC is that from lst October 2006 it is illegal to discriminate in the UK on the basis of age in employment and vocational training, including pay and pensions provision.

This excellent resource manual covers just about everything one needs to know about the implications and likely impact of the new legislation across a whole range of working practices within organizations, both large and small.  According to the authors, by 2007 45-59 year olds will form the largest group of the workforce and there will be more people of pensionable age than children under 16.

Recruitment, career development, work-life balance, redundancy and dismissal, training and lifelong learning, pay, health and sickness, retirement and pensions are just some of the working practices that are affected by the new legislation.

One extremely useful feature of the book is the inclusion of templates that will facilitate an awareness-raising programme at all levels within an organisation and aid the development of an age-inclusive working environment.  The templates and accompanying notes cover all the key areas noted above and represent an invaluable resource base that make this publication indispensable for those responsible for ensuring their organization meets the future challenges posed by the new legislation.

First Trust Bank Economic Outlook and Business Review, 21.4 Nov/Dec 2006

Change with the times
Written by management consultant Keren Smedley and career coach Helen Whitten, AGE MATTERS: Employing, motivating and managing older employees attempts to address age discrimination issues.

The publication discusses the age legislation which came into force last month, providing employers with a comprehensive and positive approach to the matter.  The book aims to help businesses understand the implications of demographic change and the employment law issues it raises.

Practical advice and training exercises are also included.

Food Manufacture, Nov. 2006