In the Harvard Business Review, there is the following report which is quoted here:
"The proportion of male-female partnerships in which the woman is at least five years older than the man increased sharply in the UK and US in the 1980s and 1990s.
Having remained at 3% for decades, it rose 8.3% in 2000 and is likely to be much higher now.
Today's wider career choices give women the opportunity to increase their desirability through financial success, an option that once was limited to males, the researchers say."
Another age boost for women?
Friday, 13 January 2012
2012: tackling key issues of our age?
The business guru Peter Drucker once said (something like) "technology is not the greatest challenge of age, but demography is". 2012 is the year when two of the great issues of our age,retirement and long-term funding,are scheduled to (hopefully) get the attention they deserve.
In Spring, the White paper on social care is expected, following on from the Dilnot recommendations last year. Hopefully it will not fudge the funding challenges which we face.
From October, the auto-enrolment of employees into pensions schemes and the launch of NEST (National Employment Savings Scheme) will start to make their mark and will hopefully be well supported and promoted by employees.
These two areas are massive issues and let's hope that the financial services industry also plays a major part in this process, not just to boost their own business potential but to do some social good too.
In Spring, the White paper on social care is expected, following on from the Dilnot recommendations last year. Hopefully it will not fudge the funding challenges which we face.
From October, the auto-enrolment of employees into pensions schemes and the launch of NEST (National Employment Savings Scheme) will start to make their mark and will hopefully be well supported and promoted by employees.
These two areas are massive issues and let's hope that the financial services industry also plays a major part in this process, not just to boost their own business potential but to do some social good too.
Wednesday, 2 November 2011
Boomer women are the key demographic for the next decade
Bridget Brennan author of "What women want when they shop" is asked:
" Which of the trends in your trend chapter has strengthened the most since you first published the book, and which do you expect to be the most important in the next decade?"
Her reply:
"Boomers! Boomer women are the key demographic for the next decade. They are enormous in number, they have the largest amount of wealth in this country, and yet most advertisers and marketers don’t spend any time marketing to people over the age of 54.It’s a huge miss for firms that choose to ignore this segment".
" Which of the trends in your trend chapter has strengthened the most since you first published the book, and which do you expect to be the most important in the next decade?"
Her reply:
"Boomers! Boomer women are the key demographic for the next decade. They are enormous in number, they have the largest amount of wealth in this country, and yet most advertisers and marketers don’t spend any time marketing to people over the age of 54.It’s a huge miss for firms that choose to ignore this segment".
Monday, 3 October 2011
Life long learning: mindset makeover
On the 1st October the default retirement age of 65 was abolished. Regardless of whether you regard this as a positive or negative move, what it means for all of us with working lives of c 50 years is that individual skills have to be kept up-to-date across the decades. This will be the only way of ensuring that we maintain our employability with relevant skills and performance capabilities.
The common attitude of "self write-off" reflected in statements such as "there's no point me learning anything new at my age" or "self-smugness" reflected in "you can't teach me anything new, I've worked here for 30 years" will have to go and quickly.
Employers have a key part to play in this workplace cultural change by putting in place support to enable all workers to update there skills.
For the full version of this article see www.maturetimes.co.uk/mindset-makeover
The common attitude of "self write-off" reflected in statements such as "there's no point me learning anything new at my age" or "self-smugness" reflected in "you can't teach me anything new, I've worked here for 30 years" will have to go and quickly.
Employers have a key part to play in this workplace cultural change by putting in place support to enable all workers to update there skills.
For the full version of this article see www.maturetimes.co.uk/mindset-makeover
Tuesday, 6 September 2011
Countdown to Cultural Change
We're now only 4 weeks away from the massive change about to hit employers and employees. On 1st October 2011 the default retirement age of 65 will become unlawful without "objective justification", giving older workers the choice and the right to continue working into their late 60s and beyond if they are still performing effectively.
This has big implications for employers if they do not have robust performance management processes in place and have not considered the issues in relation to succession/workforce planning and potential responses from employees of all ages and the potential threat of age discrimination claims.
Employment Tribunal figures show a 31% increase in the number of age discrimination claims lodged indicating that the 2006 Age Regulations are now starting to bite.
It is very likely that as a result of the removal of the default retirement age the number of age discrimination claims will continue to rise.It is important that employers respond positively to the opportunities and challenges that the October 1st changes bring which will also provide benefits in retaining experienced and skilled workers for longer.
This has big implications for employers if they do not have robust performance management processes in place and have not considered the issues in relation to succession/workforce planning and potential responses from employees of all ages and the potential threat of age discrimination claims.
Employment Tribunal figures show a 31% increase in the number of age discrimination claims lodged indicating that the 2006 Age Regulations are now starting to bite.
It is very likely that as a result of the removal of the default retirement age the number of age discrimination claims will continue to rise.It is important that employers respond positively to the opportunities and challenges that the October 1st changes bring which will also provide benefits in retaining experienced and skilled workers for longer.
Wednesday, 27 July 2011
Granny Au Pairs
Great news reported in the press this weekend for older women looking for adventure and something new and different.
A German company, see www.granny-aupair.com,was set up in 2010 to provide opportunities for older women to be au pairs. Their member register includes women from ages 49-76 with the most active users in their 60s.
This service provides older, independent women with a taste for adventure, opportunities to travel the world to new countries and to learn new languages. Many of the women have already raised a family and have all that experience and knowledge to draw on.
Hopefully someone in the UK will think about setting up something as the website is in German!
A German company, see www.granny-aupair.com,was set up in 2010 to provide opportunities for older women to be au pairs. Their member register includes women from ages 49-76 with the most active users in their 60s.
This service provides older, independent women with a taste for adventure, opportunities to travel the world to new countries and to learn new languages. Many of the women have already raised a family and have all that experience and knowledge to draw on.
Hopefully someone in the UK will think about setting up something as the website is in German!
Friday, 15 April 2011
Social wealth and working
The latest Labour Force Survey provided by the ONS has revealed that there has been a significant increase in the numbers of people in their late 40s to early 60s living on their own ( and increase of a third in a decade). A number of reasons are given for this. One is that this may just be the baby boom of earlier years working its way through the population, another to do with the increase in the break-up of relationships.
A survey a few years ago also showed that there was an increase in the concept of "living apart together" where two people with some life experience behind them opted to be in an established relationship but did not actually commit to living togteher.
The BBC Radio 4 programme raised the issue that as these people get into their older ages then they may become more socially excluded and more vulnerable. While they may be relatively well-off financially compared to other younger generations, their "social wealth" could be severely impacted. It will be interesting to see whether single people chose to continue working for longer because they need and appreciate the social contact which work can provide. Whether employers can use the "social wealth" angle to attract and retain talent of all ages only remains to be seen.?
A survey a few years ago also showed that there was an increase in the concept of "living apart together" where two people with some life experience behind them opted to be in an established relationship but did not actually commit to living togteher.
The BBC Radio 4 programme raised the issue that as these people get into their older ages then they may become more socially excluded and more vulnerable. While they may be relatively well-off financially compared to other younger generations, their "social wealth" could be severely impacted. It will be interesting to see whether single people chose to continue working for longer because they need and appreciate the social contact which work can provide. Whether employers can use the "social wealth" angle to attract and retain talent of all ages only remains to be seen.?
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