Southdown signs the Age-friendly Employer Pledge

Posted on 18 January 2024

We are pleased to say Southdown has signed the Age-friendly Employer Pledge, a nationwide programme run by the Centre for Ageing Better. By signing the pledge we are showing our commitment to older workers and making our workplace age-friendly. This is particularly important as half of people aged over 50 in England experienced age discrimination in the last year*.

By signing the pledge we are taking action to improve our recruitment, retention and development of workers aged 50 and over, which means we draw on a wider pool of applicants for each job. It means older workers can continue to thrive and contribute to our organisation. Also, it means we can benefit from the innovation and productivity boost that multigenerational workforces bring.

Emma Vernon, HR Advisor, told us:

“We are excited to have joined the Age-friendly Employer Pledge as we are committed to learning new ways to ensure employees of all ages can thrive and develop at Southdown, with a specific focus on older workers“

Over 30% of our staff are over the age of 55, and of our new starters (less than 1 year of service) almost 22% of people are over 55. Signing this Charter is part of our ongoing commitment to equality regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, race, disability, religion or belief.

You can read more here about how we promote equality and diversity both in our service delivery and as an employer. Take a look at our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion framework ‘This is Us’ to find out more information about our plan to progress our EDI commitments.

For more information about Ageing Better, visit: https://ageing-better.org.uk/

The Centre for Ageing Better is currently running the Age Without Limits campaign which challenges ageism for the benefit of everyone as we get older. This is England’s first-ever anti-ageism campaign. Find out more about how you can get involved here: www.agewithoutlimits.org