Why flexible working is a top priority for many older jobseekers

Flexible working is the top priority for many jobseekers who are over 50, according to a new poll.

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Tracy Allen, Front of House Team Member at The Bay Tree in Burford has benefited hugely from her employer’s flexible working policy. The 52-year-old grandmother of five is an experienced hospitality worker who joined The Bay Tree – a Fuller’s bar and restaurant – two years ago, attracted by an advert that offered a Monday to Friday shift from 7am to 3pm.

That shift means she can pick up her three grandchildren who live locally from school if the weather is bad and be on hand to help out her daughter if she needs to.

Tracy also brings additional skills to the team at The Bay Tree: “I can relate to families and small children, and when I’m dealing with a busy breakfast shift, that can be really helpful. I understand the importance of ketchup and the short attention span of a three-year-old!”

Tracy is one of many older workers who want flexible working. A new poll from Fuller, Smith and Turner Plc and Rest Less, an online community for over 50s, found nearly two thirds (62%) of over 50s said they would like a job that fits around their life.

Based on a survey of 1,000 jobseekers over 50, the poll found that, when asked about their top priority for a job, 62% said they wanted a role that fitted around their life, 34% said earning enough money to pay the bills and just 4% said their priority was to progress their career.

Respondents were questioned about how work needed to fit around their life. One in five (20%) said they needed to balance work with caring responsibilities. One in five (20%) said they needed to balance work with their own health conditions and 13% said they had children or grandchildren to look after. When given the opportunity to provide more detail, many respondents also added they wanted to balance work with enjoying their free time to pursue personal interests.

Dawn Browne, Fuller’s People & Talent Director, said: “People aged 50+ are a really important talent pool for Fuller’s. At Fuller’s we find that our older employees bring valuable skills, wisdom and insight to the table thanks to their years of experience both inside and out of work. Their softer skills, typically honed through years of practice, make them excellent candidates for customer service roles – the lifeblood of the hospitality sector.”

*Picture credit: Martin Bodman / Burford: Bay Tree Hotel /CC BY-SA 2.0, courtesy of Wikimedia commons.