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The Bupa Health Insights series brings you the latest healthcare trends, interviews with medical experts and specialist insight from Bupa: all designed to keep you and your organisation one step ahead.
For the latest insights on supporting health and wellbeing in the workplace, take a look here.
UK employers, backed by the government, are increasingly seeking to bring older people back into the workforce.
Health needs evolve with age and so, offering tailored healthcare and support will give organisations an edge when recruiting and retaining older talent.
Bupa data shows musculoskeletal (MSK) issues are the most common reason for claims from members over the age of 50.
This is followed by:
- cancer
- conditions that affect the digestive system
- problems with the heart and circulatory system
- urology.
By comparison, for 20- to 29-year-olds MSK problems associated with traumatic injuries are the most common reason for claims.
This is followed by:
- mental health
- conditions that affect the digestive system
- obstetrics and gynaecology (pregnancy, childbirth and reproductive health)
- respiratory system diseases (lungs and airways).
Importance of over-50s
The economic importance of over-50s is underlined by the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data, which shows they make up 34% of the workforce, despite a surge in the people taking early retirement.
Think-tank Demos identified poor health as the main reason for over-50s leaving the workforce.
But research by the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) also suggested older workers leaving work was increasingly a lifestyle choice, while the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) found ageism was also an issue.
Dr Naveen Puri, Associate Clinical Director at Bupa, says there is much employers can do to attract and retain older employees through supporting their health needs, along with promoting their value within workplace culture.
“Having timely access to investigations and treatments is very important to older employees, especially where there may be long waiting times, such as for joint replacement,” Dr Naveen says.
“Resources to help skilled and experienced team members maintain their health can also incentivise them to stay in post. This benefits individual members, and it benefits organisations.”
“There is a lot that employers can do to support the health and wellbeing of older employees. And this will have a positive impact across organisations as a whole.”
These include:
- promoting healthy lifestyle and behaviour choices
- signposting resources to maintain health and wellbeing
- providing health assessments
- making reasonable adjustments to help valued colleagues continue to work
For resources and guides on how to promote age diversity in the workplace, take a look at the full article here.
This article has been abbreviated by Health & Protection.