Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Health and safetyLatest NewsHR practiceWellbeingOccupational Health

Three-fifths of workers fear their ability to work in old age

by Personnel Today 4 Jul 2013
by Personnel Today 4 Jul 2013

Six employees out of 10 UK fear they will not be up to the job mentally or physically if or when they have to work into old age to be able to fund their retirement.

A poll by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) and health insurer Aviva has found workers were concerned about being too tired to continue normal hours if they had to work into older age, while nearly two-thirds feared developing a serious illness that could affect their ability to do their job.

Yet, at the same time, most were not doing enough exercise (classed as “moderate to vigorous physical activity”) to help reduce the risk of ill health as they got older.

More than two-thirds of those polled said that on average they were not getting the two-and-a-half hours of exercise a week that is the minimum recommended by the chief medical officer.

The poll comes as figures from the Office for National Statistics have shown the number of workers aged over 65 is topping one million for the first time.

Phil Gray, chief executive of the CSP, said: “We completely ­understand the fears people have about working longer. But if people are going to retire later, they need to develop and maintain the healthy habits now that will give them the best possible chance of staying well enough to work as they get older.”

The results also suggested too few employers were doing enough to look after the wellbeing of their workforce and to prepare people for a longer career.

Among employed people, just 17% said their boss encouraged them to take proper breaks, such as lunch or even annual leave. And only 7% of those who worked said they were offered fast-track access to physiotherapy services.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

In a separate development, a ­European Union project has been set up to examine the health ramifications of increasing the inclusion rates of older people in the labour market. The “e-capacit8” project is working “to strengthen the capacities of European OH and safety professionals so they are better equipped to support the process of workers ageing”, and includes the Institute of Occupational Medicine among its members.

It is expected to run for the next three years.

Personnel Today

previous post
Acas code applied to dismissal for breakdown in trust and confidence
next post
Can anti-Semitism count as a ‘philosophical belief’ under the Equality Act 2010?

You may also like

Fire and rehire: the relocation question

22 May 2025

Public sector workers gain pay rises of up...

22 May 2025

UK net migration slashed by half in one...

22 May 2025

How neuroscience can unlock employee recognition

22 May 2025

UK universities fret over fall in international students

22 May 2025

HSBC employees warned of office attendance link to...

22 May 2025

The Law Society: Navigating the new world of...

22 May 2025

Workplace stress: Why it’s time to rebrand resilience

22 May 2025

Restaurant tips should be included in holiday pay

21 May 2025

Fewer workers would comply with a return-to-office mandate

21 May 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today