The firm is among the first businesses and organisations in the country to sign the pledge, run by the Centre for Ageing Better, which supports organisations to improve the recruitment, retention and development of workers aged 50 and over to make workplaces age-friendly. Businesses must also appoint a senior sponsor for age-inclusion, a role which Stone King Chair Alison Allen has taken on.
Alison, Stone King’s Head of Private Client Sector, said: “I am delighted to support the Age-friendly Employer Pledge. As a woman in her fifties I am very aware of how age is both an advantage in terms of life and work experience, and also sometimes a challenge as we adjust to getting older. I know that our business benefits from diversity amongst our people including a wide range of ages and experience and I am very keen to support a multigenerational workforce.”
Being a part of the pledge means businesses make various commitments, such as specifically naming age within Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policies, and the Centre for Ageing Better supports the network of signed up organisations by providing a framework of suggested actions and offering opportunities to learn effective age-friendly practices.
Dr Carole Easton, Chief Executive at the Centre for Ageing Better, said: “The current labour shortage has been called the most urgent problem facing the UK economy with its impact driving up prices, wages and inflation. Workers in their 50s and 60s are a key, but currently overlooked, solution to resolving the UK’s employment crisis.
“The pledge has been designed to support businesses to go on a journey at a pace that works best for each organisation. By taking manageable and measurable steps, each employer will learn over time what steps are needed to make the biggest difference in their own organisation.”
Stone King has built a reputation for excellence amongst both private and commercial clients, whilst its strategic focus has made it a national leader in the charity, faith and education sectors. The firm has offices at Bateman House, 82-88 Hills Road in Cambridge, as well as offices in Bath, Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds and London.
