Title
Contents
Acknowledgements 8
The Authors 9
Abbreviations 10
Glossary of terms 12
Summary 16
1. Introduction 24
1.1. Policy background 24
1.1.1. The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 25
1.1.2. The UK default retirement age 26
1.2. Research aims and objectives 26
1.3. Methodology 27
1.3.1. Establishing suitable data sources 27
1.3.2. Selection of case studies 29
1.3.3. Production of eight case studies 30
1.3.4. Final reporting 31
1.3.5. Methodological limitations 31
2. Context of the case study countries 34
2.1. Demographic and economic profiles 36
2.1.1. Population and GDP 38
2.1.2. Age demographics 38
2.1.3. Income in retirement 39
2.2. Participation rates 39
2.3. Pension provision and employment protection 41
2.3.1. The role of employment protection law 46
2.4. Age policy and legislation 46
2.4.1. Chronology of age legislation 47
2.4.2. Current legislation relating to mandatory retirement 51
3. Impacts of age legislation on employers and business 56
3.1. Impact of age legislation on employers' human resources practices 56
3.2. Impact of age legislation on the provision of flexible working and training 57
3.2.1. Flexible working 58
3.2.2. Training 59
3.3. Impact of age legislation on employers' payment of insurance and benefits 59
3.4. Impact of age legislation where seniority wages are common 60
3.5. The impact on employers where mandatory retirement may be set at any reasonable age 62
3.6. Key findings 63
4. Impacts of age legislation on individuals 64
4.1. The impact of flexible working on employees' decisions to work later 64
4.2. The role of attitudes towards older employees 66
4.2.1. Evidence of negative attitudes towards older employees 67
4.2.2. The impact of negative attitudes 69
4.2.3. Evidence of more positive attitudes towards older workers 70
4.3. Impact of mandatory retirement on younger workers 71
4.4. Impact of the State Pension Age and retirement benefits 72
4.5. The impact of health other personal circumstances 74
4.6. Key findings 76
5. Impacts of age legislation on participation rates, the economy and public sector expenditure 78
5.1. Impact on participation rates where age legislation was implemented with a view to increasing participation rates 79
5.2. The impact on participation rates in the US and Canada 80
5.3. Impact on the economy and public spending 81
5.4. Key findings 82
6. Conclusions 84
6.1. Key conclusions 84
6.2. The recommendations of the OECD and the European Commission 88
References 90
Table 2.1. Population, GDP, age demographics and income in retirement of UK and the case study countries (data is 2008-9 except where stated) 37
Table 2.2. Participation rates among the 15 to 64 and among the over-65 age groups in the UK and the case study countries 40
Table 2.3. Pension provision and employment protection in the UK and the case study countries 42
Table 4.1. Attitudes to men and women working beyond age 70, by country 69
Figure 2.1. Fall-off in participation rates in the UK and the case study countries17 41
Figure 2.2. Chronology of age legislation in countries where mandatory retirement is prohibited at any age 48
Figure 2.3. Chronology of age legislation in countries where mandatory retirement is permitted with a minimum permitted mandatory retirement age set by legislation 49
Figure 2.4. Chronology of age legislation in country where mandatory retirement is permitted, with no minimum age set by legislation 50