Personnel directors were encouraged to re-examine contracts to reflect changing lifestyles at the Society of Directors of Personnel Scotland annual conference last week.
Graham Houston, principal adviser with the Industrial Society in Scotland told delegates:
“You need to look at two key changes in society. First is the growth of the over-50s and the value of their contribution, and second is the need to understand the rise of the ‘free worker’.”
He explained: “Older employees can make a valuable contribution to the success of start-ups and bring a great amount of experience to departments, and they need to be encouraged to remain in the workforce for longer.”
“The free worker will require HR directors to understand the needs of an employee who may not be as tied to a single employer as existing employees and may want to structure their work and their time in a more open way.”
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“Houston concluded: “We need to instil a greater sense of fun into the workplace and the jobs people do as that will increasingly be one of the greatest motivating factors in the future.”
By Colin Wright
