Case study

BT

Age Positive Champion

Successful companies monitor and meet shifts in societal expectations. They control risks, anticipate market opportunities and compete efficiently. To do this we recognise that BT needs to recruit from the widest available talent pool and harness the contribution of people of all ages. We therefore believe it is important to raise awareness of the benefits of age diversity and to support the government in its aim to promote the good practice that will in itself challenge societal stereotypes and start to change behaviours.

BT is pleased to be able to offer support to this important campaign. Business is no longer just about achieving bottom line results; its about how we achieve those results and the behaviours we demonstrate. To be successful businesses also need to be in tune with societal changes and to react responsibly to them. At BT, we believe that only by treating everyone equally and fairly, embracing the range of skills and experiences of people of all ages are we truly able to release their potential and strive for business success.

Caroline Waters Director, BT Employment Policy

OUR AGE POSITIVE GOOD PRACTICE:

Age has been part of our Equality & Diversity policy & strategy for a number of years. Our commitment to age diversity is therefore a vital component of our broader approach, which we have embedded as part of the Way We Work. To provide top-level commitment we have an Age Champion; a senior manager who ensures age diversity issues are taken seriously and our values on age are put into practice. We also regularly monitor our age profile and have taken measures to address the imbalance. Recently, we introduced an holistic approach to resourcing, NewStart, which will challenge people’s expectations about retiring early. As a consequence, it is expected that people will remain with the company longer and this will have a positive affect on the company’s age profile. Flexible options have been developed that provide the mechanisms by which people can retire gradually for the first time, as part of a career/life planning concept.

The options available currently include:

• Wind Down - Part-time working, job share
• Step Down - Lower ‘responsible’ job at lower grade
• Time Out - Phased sabbaticals
• Ease Down - Reduction in hours or responsibility
• Helping Hands- Secondments

BENEFITS OF OUR GOOD PRACTICE:

By embracing the values of age diversity and of mixed-aged teams, we are able to reap the benefits of a balanced workforce and respond effectively to the exciting marketing opportunities created by an ageing population. With the introduction of NewStart, we expect the peak of our age distribution to flatten and shift and thus making us more reflective of our markets and better able to reap the benefits of mixed aged teams.

Go to top of page

Go back to Case Studies page

20 KEY FACTS your business needs to know about age legislation and retirement