Directors want an end to compulsory retirement

In an NOP survey. over three-quarters of IoD members say they are opposed to staff being forced to retire at a set age.

The survey finds that most employers expect the average retirement age to increase over the next two decades, with only 20 per cent believing it will stay the same.

Director general Miles Templeman says the research shows more flexibility is needed in the system, with employers believing staff want to work for longer.

The IoD stresses that the ending of compulsory retirement is only one of a number of reforms required. Others include radical simplification of the pension system, enhanced employee and employer contributions and increased tax incentives for pension funds.

Templeman says: “Employers are very keen to tackle the whole pension crisis, partly out of responsibility to their employees but also because they, as individuals, will be affected in the same way as their staff.”