Title
Contents
Acknowledgements 8
The Authors 9
Abbreviations 10
Glossary 12
Summary 16
1. Introduction 22
1.1 Background and aims 22
1.2 Research aims 24
1.3 Methodology 24
1.3.1 Research design and sample profile 24
1.3.2 Conduct of the interviews 26
1.3.3 Analysis of the findings 27
1.3.4 Research challenges 27
1.4 Report structure 28
2. Employing older workers 30
2.1 Attitudes towards older workers 30
2.2 Encouraging work beyond retirement 31
2.3 HR practices and older workers 33
2.3.1 Recruitment 33
2.3.2 Performance management 34
2.3.3 Training 35
2.3.4 Promotion 36
2.3.5 Redundancy 37
3. Retirement practices 40
3.1 Retirement age 42
3.2 Retirement practices 43
3.2.1 Organisations with a CRA that use the statutory process 44
3.2.2 Organisations with a CRA who do not use the statutory process 47
3.2.3 Retirement process without a CRA 48
3.3 Flexible working options 49
3.4 Benefits and drawbacks of a CRA 49
3.4.1 Reasons for having a CRA 50
3.4.2 Reasons for not having a CRA 52
3.5 Employers views about the 'Right to Request' 53
3.5.1 Employers with a CRA 53
3.5.2 Employers without a compulsory retirement age 54
3.6 Overview of retirement practices 55
4. Attitudes to the Default Retirement Age 58
4.1 Employers' perceived importance of the DRA 58
4.1.1 Organisations with a CRA 59
4.1.2 Organisations without a CRA 60
4.2 Employer views about the potential raising of the DRA age 60
4.3 Employer views about the potential removal of the DRA 61
4.4 Overview of attitudes to the DRA 62
5. Conclusion 64
Appendix A. Supporting information 68
Supporting information 68
Human Resources, Retirement Practices, Pensions and the Default Retirement Age 68
HR structure and policies 68
Awareness of the DRA 71
How the introduction of the DRA has impacted on HR policies and procedures 71
Occupational pension schemes and the DRA 72
Employers perception of employees response to increasing CRA 72
Overview 73
Appendix B. Topic Guide 74
1. INTRODUCTION 76
2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION 76
3. HR FUNCTIONS 78
4. RECRUITMENT 79
5. PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT, TRAINING AND REDUNDANCY 81
6. PROMOTION 82
7. THE RETIREMENT PROCESS 82
8/7. AWARENESS OF THE DRA 85
9/8. EXPERIENCE OF THE DRA WHERE EMPLOYER HAS A COMPULSORYRETI REMENT AGE 86
10/9. EXPERIENCE OF THE DRA WHERE EMPLOYER DOES NOT HAVE A COMPULSORY RETIREMENT AGE 87
11/10. AWARENESS OF THE RIGHT TO REQUEST (R2R) 87
12/11. EXPERIENCE OF THE RIGHT TO REQUEST (WHERE RELEVANT) 87
13/12. ANY OTHER THOUGHTS 88
Appendix C. Qualitative analysis using Matrix Mapping 90
Appendix D. Technical appendix 92
Technical appendix 92
Table 1.1 Sample profile of employer organisations 26
Figurs
Figure 3.1 Retirement process as set out in ACAS guidelines 41