The UK workforce is undergoing a significant demographic shift, with more people aged 50 and above remaining in employment than ever before. In 2025, the average age at which men left the labour market rose to 65.8 years, while for women it reached 64.7 years - the highest levels ever recorded by the Office for National Statistics.
This trend reflects longer life expectancy, evolving retirement patterns and the growing number of older people choosing - or needing - to work for longer.
However, despite their growing presence in the labour market, older workers are reporting worrying gaps in the support they receive from employers, especially when managing stress, illness or long-term health conditions.
Recent research published by HR Magazine reveals that less than half (45%) of employees aged 55 and over feel supported by their employers when experiencing work-related stress or sickness. This signals a significant wellbeing and inclusion challenge for organisations, particularly as older employees are more likely to experience long-term health issues and face additional barriers when accessing workplace support.
Why support older workers?
Keeping older workers in the workforce is important because they offer a depth of experience, knowledge and perspective that is hard to replace. Their strong understanding of industry practices and culture, especially when they have spent many years with the same organisation, helps maintain consistency and supports better decision-making, especially in complex situations.
In addition, older employees often act as mentors, sharing skills and insights with younger colleagues and helping teams develop more quickly and confidently. Workplaces that embrace age diversity benefit from a balanced mix of fresh ideas and proven experience, leading to stronger teamwork, more thoughtful problem-solving and better overall outcomes.
So, how can you ensure you’re supporting older workers in your organisation?
1. Train your managers
Line managers are the first and most influential point of contact for employees navigating illness, stress or long-term conditions. Training them gives them the tools and knowledge they need to handle age-related health matters sensitively and legally, ensuring that employees feel supported and seen. Key elements of effective training include:
Understanding age-related health conditions: Training will raise awareness of the fact ill health becomes more common for workers aged 50-64.
Recognising the role of reasonable adjustments: Spotting situations where adjustments could prevent unnecessary sickness absence or early workforce exit, an issue disproportionately affecting older workers, according to The Centre for Ageing Better.
Building confidence in wellbeing conversations: Ensuring managers have the skills to create psychological safety means older workers will have the confidence to openly talk about illness, stress or long-term conditions.
Preventing discrimination: Guidance stresses that age discrimination often arises through casual comments, assumptions about capability, or inconsistent decision-making. Training reduces this risk.
2. Review policies through an age-inclusive lens
Many workplace policies were designed with a ‘one-size-fits-all’ mindset that can unintentionally disadvantage older employees. Reviewing all relevant policies and procedures ensures they are fair, compliant and supportive.
Sickness absence and wellbeing policies should be reviewed. Age-neutral approaches can inadvertently harm older people, especially those managing long-term conditions and needing flexible recovery windows.
Older workers are more likely to feel overlooked in development and recognition, which can feed into biased performance judgements. Therefore, performance management procedures should also be looked at.
In addition, it is also important to review training and promotion frameworks. Employers often, consciously or not, offer fewer opportunities to older workers, which can amount to indirect discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. According to Business London Press, 73% of workers aged 18 to 29 feel they have access to training and growth, compared to only 59% of those aged 50 to 59.
Finally, retirement and exit processes should be reviewed. Retirement cannot be forced unless objectively justified. Blanket expectations around ‘slowing down’ or ‘phasing out’ older workers pose compliance risks. Reviewing policies through this lens helps employers avoid legal pitfalls and ensures that older workers receive equitable treatment across every stage of the employment lifecycle.
3. Expand flexible working opportunities
Flexible working is a proven retention tool for older employees and plays an essential part in keeping workers engaged and healthy. It supports with:
Health management: Older workers may need flexibility to manage chronic conditions or medical appointments without resorting to sickness absence.
Energy and recovery cycles: Some older people benefit from adjusted hours or reduced peak-time commuting to maintain wellbeing.
Transition to retirement: Flexible or phased working arrangements can support a smoother and more dignified retirement journey.
Retention of expertise: With older workers demonstrating higher loyalty, flexible options can secure critical institutional knowledge.
4. Introduce midlife MOTs or wellbeing check-ins
The UK government promotes ‘midlife MOTs’ as a proactive tool to support workers aged 45–60 with planning for their work, health, and finances. These sessions help employees make informed decisions before health or capability issues arise.
The first benefit of this includes early intervention, identifying emerging health or stress issues before they escalate into long-term sickness. Workforce planning also helps employees think about future career paths, reskilling needs or adjustments.
In addition, another benefit includes retention through reassurance. Demonstrating organisational commitment to long-term employee wellbeing is particularly important when older workers often feel overlooked.
Finally, proactive planning helps prevent premature workforce exit, aligning with government concerns about older workers leaving the labour market early.
5. Strengthen processes for reasonable adjustments
When an employee’s long-term physical or mental impairment qualifies as a disability under the Equality Act 2010, employers must consider adjustments such as modified duties, adjusted working hours, provision of specialised equipment and changes to performance targets that may be impacted by the condition.
Failure to provide such adjustments can constitute disability discrimination. Older employees, being statistically more likely to develop long-term conditions, are especially reliant on this legal protection.
The Centre for Ageing Better notes that older workers with health conditions face disproportionate exclusion, largely because they struggle to access the adjustments needed to remain productive. To strengthen adjustment processes, employers can:
Create clear, simple pathways for requesting adjustments, removing stigma and confusion.
Train managers to recognise when a condition may qualify for protection under the Equality Act and what reasonable adjustments might look like.
Review adjustments regularly, since health conditions can fluctuate or evolve with age.
Proactively offer adjustments rather than waiting for employees to ask, especially important given many do not feel comfortable discussing stress or ill health.
Document decisions consistently, which helps mitigate legal risk and ensures fairness across teams.
Effective adjustments not only support older workers’ dignity and wellbeing but also reduce sickness absence and prevent unnecessary labour market exit.
It’s essential for employers to recognise the unique needs and experiences of older workers. By building age-inclusive policies, supporting managers with the right training, offering flexible working options, and ensuring fair access to development and adjustments, organisations can create workplaces where older employees feel valued and able to thrive.
Looking for a talented employee to join your team? Or seeking a new opportunity yourself? Get in touch with one of our specialist consultants today.
