54% said they need work that fits around health, caring, or family responsibilities
Nearly two thirds (62%) of over 50s said they would like a job that fits around their life, according to a new report from Fuller, Smith and Turner PLC, and Rest Less, a digital community and advocate for people aged 50 and older.
Rest Less surveyed 1,000 of its job-seeking members aged 50 and older on behalf of Fuller, Smith and Turner, to ask about their attitudes to work. When questioned on what their top priority was when looking for a job, 62% said they wanted a role that fitted around their life, 34% said earning enough money to pay the bills and just 4% said their priority was to progress their career.
Respondents were questioned about how work needed to fit around their life. One in five (20%) said they needed to balance work with caring responsibilities. One in five (20%) said they needed to balance work with their own health conditions and 13% said they had children or grandchildren to look after. When given the opportunity to provide more detail, many respondents also added they wanted to balance work with enjoying their free time to pursue personal interests.
Dawn Browne, Fuller’s People & Talent Director, commented on the findings: “People aged 50+ are a really important talent pool for Fuller’s. At Fuller’s we find that our older employees bring valuable skills, wisdom and insight to the table thanks to their years of experience both inside and out of work. Their softer skills, typically honed through years of practice, make them excellent candidates for customer service roles – the lifeblood of the hospitality sector.
‘Our report with Rest Less shows us that flexible work practices are of the utmost importance to this demographic. Fuller’s is a family business and we understand just how difficult it is for our older workforce to juggle health, family or caring responsibilities alongside a job. That’s why we’re hoping our flexible shift lengths and work patterns give all of our team members the flexibility they need to live their lives alongside earning an income.”
Stuart Lewis, Chief Executive of Rest Less, commented: “The benefits of a multigenerational workforce are huge and with almost all of the UK’s future population growth coming from people over the age of 50, embracing age is becoming an essential part of future workforce planning for most large organisations. As leading advocates of age inclusivity in the workplace, Rest Less is proud to partner with some of the UK’s most progressive employers such as Fuller’s, which are leading the way on how to build age diverse, multigenerational teams.
‘Our report, in partnership with Fuller’s, shows that flexibility is an absolute priority to today’s midlife employees. Part-time work and flexible shift and working patterns – which are increasingly being adopted in the hospitality sector – are resulting in a significant increase in applicant interest amongst midlife workers in the hospitality sector.
‘We also see a lot of interest in the hospitality sector, from candidates keen to remain active, social and visible in their local communities in front line roles.”
