Aviva recently announced the roll out of a ‘Mid-Life MOT for the over 45‘s to start in 2019. The aim of this service is to give employees a full review of wealth, work and well-being.
Additional benefits will be to support employees as they prepare for a longer working life and for businesses to retain skills and experience in their staff.
As the retirement age increases employers will need to provide support for those having to work longer in terms of job satisfaction, money management and overall health.
Developing the Mid-Life MOT
The Centre for Ageing Better recently published a report ‘Developing the Mid-life MOT‘ highlighting the findings from four pilot case studies.
Being an Age Friendly employer – what you need to know:
1 – Know your target audience
Consider purpose and intended outcomes
2 – Age is not a fixed concept
Consider the age you are targeting
3 – There is no one size fits all delivery
Consider what median is most suitable to the age group you are delivery to i.e. online, group sessions.
4 – Keep the content focused
Maintain clarity and focus for the participant on the intended outcomes, you can not cover everything.
5 – a Mid-Life MOT is a process, not a one off event
Ensure follow ups are carried out to ensure employee engagement and benefits.
Thinking ahead: supporting staff
An additional publication called ‘Thinking ahead: Exploring support provided by employers to help staff plan for the future‘. This report is an exploration of activities large employers can do to support their aging staff to work longer from mid-life through to retirement.
“It’s great to see a large employer like Aviva committing to helping employees think about and plan for the future. With many more of us living and working for longer, being able to plan for our future lives at home and at work is increasingly important.
“Our research shows that people really value having access to information and advice in mid-life and, crucially, having the time and support from their employer to think about things like career development, finances, maintaining their health and relationships, and their aspirations for the future.”
Patrick Thomson, Senior Programme Manager, Centre for Ageing Better
Conclusion
The 10 year contract is a distant memory, replaced by much lighter employee contracts that bind people to employers for far longer as we work into our sixties. It is in the employers best interest to look after these employees to ensure they continue to be a valued asset to the business and contribute to a healthy corporate culture.
There experience and wisdom is invaluable so having a mid-life MOT will ensure they continue to deliver consistent commitment to the their roles and responsibilities whilst maintaining health and well being.
