Skip to content
SJD Accountancy
Join Now
Join now
Sorry, we're closed

Lines open Monday from 08:00 - 20:00

  • Contractor Services
    • Our Services
      • Accountancy Packages
        • Compare Services
        • Essential
        • Premium
        • Elite
      • Company Formation
      • Switching Accountant
      • Tax & Audit Services
        • Self Assessment
        • Questionnaires
      • Insolvency Services
      • IR35 Contract Reviews
      • Special Offers
    • Partner Services
      • Umbrella
      • Business Insurance
      • Contractor Mortgages
      • Wealth Planning
      • Health Insurance
      • IPSE Membership
      • Rewards
  • Contractor Resources
    • Contractor Library
    • Top Guides
      • The Contractor’s Guide
      • Limited or Umbrella. The Ultimate Guide
      • Complete Guide to IR35
    • Contractor Tools
      • Limited Company Name Generator
      • Compare Your Day Rate
      • Gender Pay Gap Tool
    • Contractor Calculators
      • Take home pay
      • IR35 calculator
    • Becoming a Contractor
      • Permanent to Contracting
      • How to contract
      • Contractor earnings
      • Contracting in the UK
      • Umbrella take home pay
      • Limited or umbrella
      • Contracting through an umbrella
      • FAQ’s for new contractors
    • Existing Contractor
      • Expenses
      • Taking money out your company
    • Financial Advice
      • Business banking
      • Contractor and business insurance
      • Contractor pensions
      • Contractor mortgages
      • Off-Shore
    • Understanding Legislation
      • IR35
      • Flat Rate VAT scheme
  • About
    • Company
      • About SJD
      • Contact us
      • Careers
      • Terms of Business
      • Terms & Conditions
      • Privacy Policy
    • News
  • Clients
    • Refer to SJD
    • SJD Online
Search Search

SJD Accountancy > News and Opinion > Uncategorized > Contracting could be the way to go for the over 50s

SJD Accountancy > News and Opinion > Uncategorized > Contracting could be the way to go for the over 50s

Contracting could be the way to go for the over 50s

Author
Written by:Digital
Uncategorized
2 minutes
Published: January 13, 2019 Updated: January 15, 2019
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Email

Over the last few Contractor Attitude Surveys that we have carried out, we’ve noticed an increasing number of older limited company contractors. Something which we believe is partly driven by people enjoying being a contractor and wanting to carry on working longer, and also by people who have taken early retirement from a permanent position and then chosen to go contracting. In fact, over 30% of the UK’s working population is now over 50 – which is some 9.4 million of us, in real terms.

If you’re a mature contractor, then you may find a recent report by workplace consultants Peldon Rose quite interesting. The idea behind the survey was to determine how older people are being treated at work, when compared to their younger counterparts – and the results were certainly an eye opener for employers, showing that their older permanent employees are the ‘least content’ of the entire workforce.

Only 23% – less than a quarter – of over 55s surveyed said that they felt appreciated by their employer, and just 17% believed that their employer valued their opinion on workplace matters. The rest clearly do not feel that their voice is being heard – and worryingly 80% of those surveyed had experienced work-related stress at some stage.

This plainly demonstrates that more mature workers are less appreciated by their employers, and makes a good case for those who are over 50 to consider contracting. As a contractor, you are valued for your experience and knowledge, built up over many years – rather than being seen as over the hill and no longer taken seriously. Having that ‘independent third party specialist’ persona can make a huge difference in the workplace.

The findings of the report in relation to under 25s were a stark contrast, with over half (55%) saying they felt valued by their employer. So, it’s clear that employers need to start appreciating those staff members with greater knowledge and life experience a little more. Indeed, the company that commissioned the survey, Peldon Rose, described it as businesses creating a ‘forgotten generation’ of more mature employees who, despite this greater level of experience and knowledge, are not finding themselves being taken seriously at work.

Commenting on the findings of the survey, Chief Executive of Peldon Rose Jitesh Patel said, “With millions of workers remaining in employment into their 60s and 70s, employers face the unexpected challenge of accommodating diverse generations of employees under one roof. As businesses aim to balance the needs and desires of both older workers and younger workers within the modern workplace, our survey findings have demonstrated that it is often the older workers who are being over-looked and under-valued by employers, leading to poor wellbeing and motivation.

Businesses should seek to understand the needs of the whole workforce. Failure to do so could result in higher attrition of the older workers who have been the backbone of their business and have valuable knowledge and experience which could be imparted on to the younger generations.”

Of course, we’re all for a world in which more mature workers are appreciated wherever they are. But if you feel that you are not being valued by your employer, then now could be a very good time to think about contracting – where your many years of accumulated skill and knowledge will be thoroughly appreciated.

For all other news please visit our Contractor News hub, or why not join us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for all the latest contractor news and views.

Related Articles

National Freelancers Day is Going Virtual
Uncategorized
Contractor News Roundup: March 2020
Uncategorized
IR35 Reforms: Five Things You Need to Know
Uncategorized
What can contractors expect from the Conservative government?
Uncategorized
IR35 Guidance Updates for Contractors
Uncategorized
SJD Accountancy continues to drive new frontiers with new CEO appointment
Uncategorized

Back to top

Contact Us

  • 0123456789

Useful Links

  • Terms & Conditions
  • Recruiters
  • Privacy
  • Slavery Statement

New Business Hours

Monday - Thursday8:00 AM — 8:00 PM
Friday8:00 AM — 7:00 PM
Saturday10:00 AM — 4:00 PM
SundayClosed

Copyright SJD Accountancy 2021. All rights reserved. SJD Accountancy Ltd is a company registered in England & Wales. Company Registration Number 06277058.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptReject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.