The double prejudice facing disabled older workers

Disabled older workers are almost twice as likely to experience negative treatment when applying for jobs or promotions than their non-disabled peers, according to new research from the Centre for Ageing Better.

More than two in five (44%) Disabled people aged between 50 and 66 years old felt they had experienced negative treatment when applying for jobs or promotions in the past five years, compared to one in four (25%) non-Disabled people of the same age, the newly published Supporting Disabled Older Workers project report details.

Of all UK adults aged 50-66, more than two in three (69%) feel that older age is a disadvantage in the UK job market, the research project in partnership with The Policy Institute at King’s College London found. Three in four (75%) thought having disability or a health condition put applicants at a disadvantage.

Only around one in 20 (6%) UK adults 50-66 thought that having a disability or a health condition represented an advantage in the workplace while around one in ten (11%) thought being over 50 was an advantage.

Previous analysis has shown that the UK has a 50% higher rate of economic inactivity due to illness among people both aged 50-64 and who want to work, compared to Germany. Closing this gap would see around 192,000 additional older workers in the labour market, yielding approximately £13 billion in gross domestic product (GDP) a year and £2.5 billion in additional income tax and national insurance revenues.

The Supporting Disabled Older Workers project report, delivered by the Centre for Ageing Better and funded by Columbia Threadneedle Foundation, develops new policy and practice to improve support for Disabled people and people with long-term health conditions in their 50s and 60s to find and stay in work. It has been shaped by a nine-person ‘Experts by Experience’ Steering Group of Disabled older people.

Workplace experiences shared by participants that highlight the barriers Disabled older workers face include:

Being forced into retirement because employers were not open to reasonable adjustments to their roles
Being rejected in interviews and job applications because of their long-term health conditions
Workplace cultures that viewed requests for reasonable adjustments with suspicion and hostility
Feeling obliged to step back into more junior roles with lower pay due to the limitations imposed by their health condition resulting in a reduced sense of worth
Staying in existing job roles because of uncertainty around whether a new role would make the same accommodations they currently experience.

The report has a raft of recommendations for government and employers including:

Employers should be supported and encouraged to consider the active involvement of Disabled older workers in shaping and co-producing workplace policies and practices.
Employers should be supported and encouraged to consider ensuring Disabled older people feel confident in communicating their workplace needs, for instance by promoting the use of ‘adjustment passports’.
Government needs to reform Jobcentre Plus and the National Careers Service, with a focus on culture, including specialist disability and age inclusive training.
Government should commission further research on how to best reduce the burden on ‘sandwich generations’, for instance through reforms to childcare and social care.

The report also lays bare the higher rates of dissatisfaction that Disabled older people are experiencing in their workplace.

The report’s survey shows that Disabled older workers report lower levels of satisfaction within their workplace compared to non-disabled people aged 50-66 including:

With pay and progression (30% vs 40%)
Training and development (39% vs 51%)
Roles and responsibilities (51% vs 62%)
Line managers (43% vs 55%)

Almost two in five (39%) Disabled people aged 50-66 said they did not feel their workplace was inclusive, compared to around one in four (23%) non-disabled people.

Concerns about stigma, being perceived as less capable, or becoming defined by their disability in professional settings meant many Disabled older workers do not ask their employers about reasonable adjustments that would help them carry out their roles more effectively.

Other research participants did not believe their employer would be able or willing to provide adjustments, for instance due to physical limitations in the workplace or due to overstretched teams

Among Disabled workers aged 50-66, one in five (21%) has not asked for adjustments in the past five years despite needing them. Around one in three (30%) Disabled people reported a lack of confidence in asking for reasonable adjustments, compared to one in five (20%) non-Disabled people aged 50-66.

You can download the Supporting Disabled Older Workers report here.