Research briefing: Employers' views and practices in providing employee support from mid-life to retirement

IES is looking for employers to contribute to a new research project. The research will explore employers’ views and practices in supporting employees in their mid-life onwards (aged 40 and over) in their work, health and wellbeing from mid-life through to retirement.

The project will help to identify what employers are doing to support older employees and why. The project is being conducted by the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) on behalf of the Centre for Ageing Better and Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (UK Branch).

What are we looking for?

We are looking to hear about interventions that are targeted specially at employees in their mid-life onwards, as well as those that are available to all employees, but that may have particular benefits for our target group. If your organisation is interested in this area, we want to hear from you.

• What are your concerns and drivers for supporting employees in mid-life onwards?  

• Does your organisation support its employees to think about and plan for later life, both inside and outside paid employment?

• Does your organisation support its employees to maintain or improve their health and wellbeing?

• What helps or hinders such interventions?

If your organisation does not, but you are considering these issues, we would still like to speak with you to understand what information would help you configure this support.

The types of interventions and practices in this area are varied, and we are interested to find out about what you are doing, or thinking of doing, and why. Relevant interventions might include courses related to work and/or retirement; career or skill coaching; mid-career skill or career reviews; skills development or re-training; peer networks; support with financial planning or managing the transition to retirement; or support aimed at specific groups of employees, such as carers or those with chronic health issues.

Interventions of interest could be delivered internally, or involve an external provider.

What would taking part involve for you?  

We are looking for up to two contacts in participating organisations depending on the staff structures that exist – for example, HR Directors (or equivalent) and those involved in implementation, such as HR managers – to support the study by taking part in 30-45 minute telephone interviews.

The interview will cover your motivations and reasons for having interventions to support employees from mid-life through to retirement, the nature of the intervention, and any observed business benefits.

We would like to understand both the strategy behind the intervention(s), as well as how it has been implemented. We expect it will generally be appropriate to interview both an HR Director or equivalent (for a corporate overview) and an HR professional or specialist who is responsible for implementation, or who is responsible for researching and designing the interventions you would like to introduce.

We would be happy to agree the most appropriate approach for your organisation.

The interviews will be confidential and individuals and organisations would not be named in the report. Interviewees will be given the opportunity to be a named case-study in a separate document showcasing their practices in this area, should they so wish.

The interviews need to be completed by 22 June 2018.

Get in touch

For further information about the research or to take part, please contact the project team: