An Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) investigation of the recruitment industry may be “ultimately required” if a voluntary, industry-led approach to stopping discrimination against older workers does not succeed.

This was among the recommendations from business champion for older workers Dr Ros Altmann CBE in her report to government, published today [11 March].

The report, ‘A New Vision for Older Workers: Retain, Retrain, Recruit’, is aimed at “ensuring everyone wakes up and recognises the value of older workers”, Altmann says in her opening comments. “We must realise this potential.”

In her report, Altmann points out that older workers could boost the economy and takes to task fallacies about older workers in the workforce. 

“Keeping more over 50s in employment does not mean fewer jobs for the young,” she says. “This so-called ‘lump of labour fallacy’ has been roundly discredited by academic studies but still colours people’s views.”

Altmann’s 12 wide-ranging recommendations include, among other points:

• Development of a cross-government national strategy to address adult skills gaps and ongoing retraining requirements

• Government must tackle age discrimination, imposing penalties for breaking the law. Age is one of the protected characteristics under the UK Equality Act 2010

• Improving the service of Jobcentres, introducing temporary National Insurance relief for employers who keep on or recruit older workers

• Ensuring that age is not a barrier to training opportunities

• Using more older media presenters – especially females

• To consider removing images of road warning signs showing stooped-over people as a hazard to road-users.

Altmann takes particular aim at the recruitment industry: “The recruitment industry, in which I have found extensive anecdotal evidence of discrimination against older applicants, needs to look at ways to drive better adherence to voluntary codes of practice. 

“If this voluntary, industry-led approach does not work it may be that an EHRC investigation of the recruitment industry is ultimately required.”

She emphasises: “The recruitment industry needs to raise its standards to ensure compliance with the law.”

Altmann acknowledges in a section of the report entitled ‘Recruitment bias’ that the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) Code of Professional Practice requires “respect for diversity” and explicitly states: “Members should not act on an instruction from a client that is discriminatory and should, wherever possible, provide guidance to clients in respect of good diversity practice.” 

She goes on to say: “It seems to me that too many recruiters fail to adhere to these practices and improved standards are required across the industry.”

Click here for the full report.

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