Dispatches: Too Old to Work reveals the results of two specially commissioned surveys on age discrimination in the workplace and the impact of mandatory retirement on people forced to leave their jobs because of their age.
Key findings from the surveys, both undertaken by YouGov, are detailed here. If you'd like to read the surveys in full, they can be downloaded from this page.
Ageism in the work place (download full survey)
- One in five people (20 per cent) knows someone who believes they have been discriminated against in the workplace for being too old
- 12 per cent say they have been discriminated against because they are too old
- Just 12 per cent of under 35s feel that having colleagues over the age of 65 is, or would be, good for productivity
- Only 25 per cent feel that employers should have the right to be able to force employees to retire at 65
Survey of forced retirees (download full survey)
- 67 per cent feel that they were not ready for retirement
- Nearly a quarter (23 per cent) have searched for more work since being forced to retire but without success
- 69 per cent rely on state or private pensions since being forced to retire
- Nearly a third (27 pre cent) say their pension does not cover their standard of living now they are retired
