About retirement – dispatches from the front line – Part 58

Dear Philippa,

DOUZO features The Future Perfect Company

Great design combines functionality and beauty. We see – and expect – this combination in products for every area of our lives. Why, then, are so many products for the over-50s dull, utilitarian, and medical-looking?

About retirement – dispatches from the front line – Part 57

After his dalliance with local politics, Howard returns to his regular slot and his musings about the joys or otherwise of retirement.

A Grand Design with real passion – Update on rebuilding of Kevin McCloud’s eco house

You might remember earlier in the year that I wrote about a project being undertaken at the University of Brighton to rebuild an eco house first built by Grand Designs’ Kevin McCloud live on Channel 4 in 2008. (http://blog.thefutureperfectcompany.com/2011/02/09/help-build-a-grand-design-from-as-little-as-2/)

I am pleased to report that good progress is being made. Planning permission has been granted by a very enthusiastic Brighton & Hove City Council and Mears Group are about to start laying the foundations.

This is a fantastic project on many levels. First off, as an eco project this is an examplar, a project which as Kevin McCloud says, will demonstrate “the viability of locally sourced materials in meeting and challenging a serious threat, which is that of climate change. It is not just about the process of putting it together. It’s also about the lessons learnt from the methods of construction, the materials and the lifecycle analysis of those materials”.

Within the University the techniques and methods tested and pioneered through the building of the house, some of which were not available in 2008, will feed into research and teaching and ultimately contribute to the knowledge of the entire construction industry.

But this is not an experimental building in the middle of a research park miles from anywhere. This building is being constructed in the very heart of Brighton within a University which has always championed public access and taken very seriously its connections and responsibilities to the City in which it is located. So not only will the contractors and staff and students from across the University have access to the project, local schools and other communities will also be able to get involved.

This is a project with real passion for the people involved as well as for the architecture. Mears Group, for instance, agreed to take on the foundations not only because it gives them the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable materials and low carbon building but also because it gives their apprentices, many of whom have not achieved academically, a glimpse into the life of a University with the possibility that one of them might then be inspired to study for a degree in architecture.

A great project all round. And you can contribute to this particular Grand Design from as little as £2. For more details of how you can get involved visit http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/business-and-community/the-house-that-kevin-built/funding-for-brightons-thtkb

I shall keep you posted!

Use DOUZO to create a wish list of gifts from any store and even offers of help

Are you a fan of the Amazon wish list but sometimes find the choice restricting? Would you like to give an offer of practical help such as babysitting or contribute  towards a larger gift? I have just come across DOUZO which helps you do all that and more. 

See below for details of how to get 15% off the cost of setting up your first DOUZO list.

www.douzo.co.uk  is a website where people can make and share wish lists.  It was started last year by two friends, Melita and Matt, after they made a site for a friend’s wedding.  They had found that there were just two types of gift list: people could register with a particular store or charity, or they could ask for money contributions towards, say, their honeymoon or a big present.  These options felt frustratingly restrictive.  Melita and Matt wanted to take away the limits of where you could shop and what you could give.  They also wanted to offer the possibility of giving time and effort instead of packaged presents. 

 Melita tells more about what they offer. 

How does it work?

DOUZO lets people put all kinds of gift on the same list.  These could be presents from any supplier, money contributions, and offers of help.  For you as the giver, DOUZO connects you to the supplier and you buy directly from them, either in person or online.  If you choose to give money, it goes directly and immediately to the recipient.  Nothing is taken from what you give.  

Weddings and special celebrations aren’t the only times when a list can be useful.  The flexibility of a DOUZO list means that it can be used to organise events, to gather things that are needed for a community project or for someone who is moving away from home.  

How can it help?   

Giving to others

It can be difficult to know what to give as presents, particularly if friends and family aren’t local.  Nieces, nephews, children, and grandchildren grow up so fast and often seem to have so much.  Putting money in a card can feel too impersonal.  Buying a gift can be a risk that it’s not the right thing or that it’s something that they already have.  If they make a list, you can choose something that they really want.  They can include presents that you can buy where ever you live.  If you give money, the list shows you what it’s going to be spent on.  They can also ask for things that might cost little but still mean plenty – such as time spent babysitting, helping with DIY, or filling the freezer with some home-cooked meals.  They can ask someone to manage the list on their behalf to keep the element of surprise.  (I’ve done this for my teenagers at Christmas, for example.  They made their lists themselves, but only I could see who had chosen a present for them.)

Helping others give to you

Perhaps you have a wedding, a special anniversary or a big birthday to celebrate?  Many people balk at the idea of asking for gifts but friends and family can be very grateful for suggestions. Using a list that isn’t tied to a store lets you suggest presents that you’d really value.  You could suggest things from independent retailers – like The Future Perfect Company – or you could ask for donations to a favourite cause or some pledges of time or help.      

As an example of using DOUZO for an event, it was recently my parents’ ruby wedding anniversary.  With my brothers and sisters, we used a list to plan their party.  We listed all the things that would help.  Friends and family picked what they could do.  Some chose to bring items of food for the buffet, to help with setting up and clearing away, taking photographs, arranging flowers, lending tablecloths and crockery, transporting guests who couldn’t stay to the whole party…  It was a great way to organise the many offers of help.  Some guests asked what Mum and Dad would appreciate as a present so we added some suggestions for those too.   

Find out more

You can find DOUZO at www.douzo.co.uk to see more information and explore example lists. 

For 2011, Melita and Matt are kindly offering 15% off the cost of setting up a list for customers of The Future Perfect Company.  Use the code FUTUREPERFECT when you check out at www.douzo.co.uk to get your discount. 

So give it a try and let us know what you think.

Why we need to re-design work for an older population. Part 3 – how do we re-design work?

The UK is getting older.  Disastrous pension provision and a faltering economy, as well as personal choice, mean that many of us will not have a traditional retirement as we continue to work beyond our early 60s.  All of us are more likely than ever to become carers, if not for our parents and grandparents then for our grandchildren.  And whilst medical advances mean that many of us will live longer, most of us can expect to have chronic health conditions of some sort or other. But is the world of work ready to embrace this new cohort of older people with differing ambitions, health conditions and family responsibilities? If not, how can we re-design it to enable us all to continue working?

In this series of blog posts, we look at why work needs to change (Part 1), the case for and against flexible working (Part 2) and finally, how we need to re-design work (Part 3).

Part 3 – How do we need to re-design work?

In Parts 1 and 2 we considered why work needed to change to reflect the huge changes in society over the past 60 years and whether flexible working was the way forward. In this final post we ask whether if flexible working is the way forward, what we need to change in order to make flexible working a reality for more people. 

Here are some thoughts.

Whilst there is increasing evidence that some people are prepared to trade salary for time, we will need to accept that there will be an impact on living standards for people choosing to work flexibly. In particular, home ownership might be more difficult to achieve and there will need to be more flexible housing options such as more secure private rental models and greater use of shared equity schemes.

I think we need more democratisation of the workplace. Hierarchical structures often mean more that those further up the pyramid are allowed more freedom to choose they way they want to work  than those at the bottom. In many workplaces this means the senior managers able to leave early to watch the school play without anyone batting an eyelid whilst the secretaries have to negotiate either unpaid leave or working overtime weeks in advance. Everyone should have equal flexibility in this respect.

Denise Stephens of Enabled by Design points out that we also need a more flexible state benefit system, commenting on the current provision for people with disabilities as follows “Wanting to return to work…is simply not enough. First there is the minefield of the benefits system to navigate which up until now has very much been an all or nothing affair; you’re either well enough to work or not and there is little or no provision for people with variable conditions or intermittent periods of ill health – nor tailored support for creative adjustments to support opportunities such as working from home. ”  Entrepreneur Duncan Edwards of Trabasack echoes this, calling for flexibility and simplicity of benefits and “a tax system which does not to penalise short term /irregular work.” Whether any of will be achieved as part of the current overhaul of the benefits system remains to be seen.

From a legal perspective Catriona Watt of Fox lawyers predicts that ”The government may come under pressure to introduce legislation which better protects self-employed consultants by giving them more of the rights employees enjoy. Currently some core legal protections only apply to employees and not consultants or freelancers, most particularly the rights on termination of employment such as the right not to be unfairly dismissed and the right to receive a statutory redundancy payment.”  With more older people and disabled people in the workforce, “Employers will need to be even more focused on anti-discriminatory policies and, in due course, discrimination and flexible working legislation. The government must be proactive with initiatives on training and development for the over 50s, media campaigns to tackle ageism and disability discrimination and possibly facilitating a combination of gainful employment and social security.”

We might also want employers to provide new sorts of benefits such as geriatric care managers to help employees with their elderly care responsibilities and stress counselling. I wonder whether we will be prepared to trade salary for this sort of support.

We should perhaps consider too different sorts of working models  which make the most of the enhanced experience of an older workforce, for example job shares which team up less and more experienced people (with differentiated pay scales).

It is likely that managers will need to be trained about intergenerational differences and how this might impact on their workforces. Any flexible working schemes considered for older workers will need to be implemented consistently to avoid disadvantaging younger employees.

There are big challenges ahead but the benefits of getting flexible working right are huge too.  Marrisse Whittaker of Virtual Granny puts it well: “Having access to flexible working hours can enhance the lives of people over 60 keeping them mentally and physically active for longer, saving the country costs in healthcare going forward. And their unique and varied life experiences can enhance the lives of those they work with, care for, or play with. A win win situation all round.”

Do you agree with us ? We would love to hear your thoughts and observations.

If you would like a complete copy of the article (with all three Parts), please email us at contact@thefutureperfectcompany.com

Why we need to re-design work for an older population. Part 2 – The case for and against flexible working

The UK is getting older.  Disastrous pension provision and a faltering economy, as well as personal choice, mean that many of us will not have a traditional retirement as we continue to work beyond our early 60s.  All of us are more likely than ever to become carers, if not for our parents and grandparents then for our grandchildren.  And whilst medical advances mean that many of us will live longer, most of us can expect to have chronic health conditions of some sort or other. But is the world of work ready to embrace this new cohort of older people with differing ambitions, health conditions and family responsibilities? If not, how can we re-design it to enable us all to continue working?

In this series of blog posts, we look at why work needs to change (Part 1), the case for and against flexible working (Part 2) and finally, how we need to re-design work (Part 3).

Part 2 – The case for and against flexible working

In Part 1 we looked out how whilst the last 60 years has seen extraordinary changes in society, the workplace and our families, the way we work has so far failed to keep up. So how should work be adapted to reflect these changes?  Increasingly people are calling for more “flexible working”.

Marrisse Whittaker from Virtual Granny puts it like this: “60 is the new 40. The vast majority of people around the current retirement age are still both physically and intellectually bright and carry a vast weight of experience with them, which can be hugely valuable to any workforce.  However, having slogged it out at work for many years, most people are looking for more of a life balance and flexible working hours would allow over 60’s to contribute to the workforce and also to offer valuable help to families, particularly by helping care for grandchildren.”

But what do we mean by “flexible working”?

Rowena Cowen, City HR Director, explains “The meaning of flexible working has changed considerably over recent years – traditionally we tended to think of it applying especially to women with young children. While legislation has now extended this right, in reality, flexible working covers a whole host of different lifestyle needs. For example, single adult households who need time at home to stay in for deliveries without taking holiday, or even, in our aging population, older workers who just find the daily commute into the City each day onerous and who value being able to work at home one day a week.

Flexible working also has many guises. Working at home, part time work, fixed term contracts, compressed hours, flexi-time, job sharing, sabbaticals, time off for charitable work, are all variations on a theme”.

Disadvantages of flexible working

But of course, as many a working mother has found to her cost over the years, flexible working does not always deliver what it promises.  In the past “flexible” working has often meant less chance of advancement and earnings penalties for people unable to work “full time”. Many flexible jobs are low status and low paid.

Employers are often reluctant to adopt flexible working patterns. Flexible working can be seen as difficult to manage and there are concerns about how to monitor employees at home.

Employers can often also worry about client or customer perception, that flexible can somehow equate to unprofessional.

There is also a danger that a flexible workforce might be less cohesive. There are definite social benefits of a work environment where people are together and some people feel very isolated working at home for long periods.
 

Benefits of flexible working

Notwithstanding the challenges that it can bring, some employers are beginning to appreciate the benefits of a flexible workforce.

Rowena Cowan again: “In my experience, some sectors have embraced the concept of flexible working more readily than others. In certain, more ‘traditional’ professions, there can be a residue of hanging on to the comfort of the 9-5, must come into the office every day routine. But there is evidence that even these bastions of the ‘normal’ office routine are re-examining their policies in the face of not only mounting  pressure from their employees, but also good business acumen.   I think there are a number of reasons why companies can no longer afford to ignore the flexible working revolution. Employees are certainly aware of their rights and are very persistent in pursuing their flexible working requests. The fact is that, despite (or perhaps because of) the current economic uncertainty, people are no longer as afraid of moving jobs as they might have been a generation or so ago.  And while I would not question employees’ loyalty to a reasonable employer, the fear of changing jobs, the demise of final salary pensions, and the fear of the unknown is not as great so if employees cannot get what they reasonably ask for, the chances are high they will find it somewhere else. In addition, despite the high number of unemployed, the battle for the top talent remains as fierce as ever and employers must constantly be aware and responding to the demands of that talent if they are to attract them.

But the necessity to embrace flexible working in all its forms is not just about attracting staff, or the fear of losing them. There is now an increasing body of empirical evidence that those employers who do offer flexible working have more motivated and engaged staff which in turn, leads directly to a healthier bottom line. Flexible working is not the answer to every challenge we face as employers, but it is a good place to start.”

Entrepreneur Duncan Edwards of Trabasack agrees, highlighting a number of other benefits to employers of allowing people to work from home: “Accessibility is improved as people are working in their own suitably adapted environment more, rather than the ‘one size fits all’ workspace. Productivity can be improved as people are working at the best times for them and when they are most efficient and not merely “putting the hours in”. There are time efficiency savings with less travelling as well as time and energy efficiencies with carbon savings, less commuting and reduced office infrastructure costs.”

By removing barriers to work, flexibility can also reduce reliance on benefits and cut care costs by encouraging independence and allowing people time to look after their own family and friends.

So, although potentially very challenging for employers and employees alike, we think the case for flexible working is very persuasive.  In Part 3 we consider what sort of changes need to be made to the way we work to achieve this sort of working model.

Do you agree with us ? We would love to hear your thoughts and observations.

If you would like a complete copy of the article (with all three Parts), please email us at contact@thefutureperfectcompany.com

Why we need to re-design work for an older population. Part 1 – Why work needs to change

The UK is getting older.  Disastrous pension provision and a faltering economy, as well as personal choice, mean that many of us will not have a traditional retirement as we continue to work beyond our early 60s.  All of us are more likely than ever to become carers, if not for our parents and grandparents then for our grandchildren.  And whilst medical advances mean that many of us will live longer, most of us can expect to have chronic health conditions of some sort or other. But is the world of work ready to embrace this new cohort of older people with differing ambitions, health conditions and family responsibilities? If not, how can we re-design it to enable us all to continue working?

In this series of blog posts, we look at why work needs to change (Part 1), the case for and against flexible working (Part 2) and finally, how we need to re-design work (Part 3).

Part 1 – Why work needs to change?

Whilst the last 60 years has seen extraordinary changes in society, the workplace and our families, the way we work has so far failed to keep up.

60 years ago

When the people now hitting their sixties were born, the world was a very different place. The primary role of men was to be breadwinners and often women were the homemakers and carers of children and the elderly.

People were educated and trained once and then remained in one occupation or profession for the whole of their working life. At an agreed age people would be required to leave the workforce and live out retirement funded by pensions. Mortgages to buy homes were paid off by the age of retirement (which was shorter as people died earlier) and house equity could be used to further fund retirement activities.

Today

Women have entered the workplace in unprecedented numbers with men and women increasingly sharing childcare and housework. There are more single parent households, with “nuclear families” no longer the norm. It is much more difficult for children to become financially independent particularly with the abolition of free higher education and the rise in house prices. And people are finding that not only are they caring for parents and grandparents but increasingly babysitting grandchildren too.

The idea of retraining or lifelong learning is becoming more important as more people find themselves without a “job for life”.  There is also increasing recognition that people with disabilities do not want to be “looked after” but want equal independence.

People are living longer and wanting and needing to continue working later in life. From 6 April 2011, the Default Retirement Age is being phased out and as Catriona Watt of Fox lawyers explains “Employers will no longer be able to rely on retirement as a fair reason for dismissal. An employer will only be able to dismiss an individual over retirement age by reason of poor health or performance and the performance management system must apply equally to employees of all ages”.

Work is becoming more “task” focused rather than “time” focused removing the need for workers to keep regular hours. The advent of the internet and the extraordinary advances in technology mean that many of us could work remotely.

But notwithstanding these huge changes in the way we live, many of our jobs are designed in the same way as they were 60 years ago. Many jobs still have fixed working hours, with Monday to Friday 9-5 as the norm. There is usually a requirement to work in one particular place with time off limited to certain prescribed activities such as holidays or maternity leave. And very often sickness absence is limited.

So we have a disconnect between the needs and lifestyles of the workforce and the way jobs work.  We consider in Part 2 how we might change the way we work in order to accommodate an increasingly older workforce.

Do you agree with us ? We would love to hear your thoughts and observations.

If you would like a complete copy of the article (with all three Parts), please email us at contact@thefutureperfectcompany.com

About retirement – the end of the campaign

Dear Philippa,

So. The people have spoken. I did quite well, but not quite well enough. I came fourth of eight. Results as follows:

I won’t bore you with details of four losers behind me, except to point out that I gave a jolly good thrashing to two LibDems, a Tory and a Labour candidate. I was busy in London on polling day, attending to weighty matters, possibly a blunder  but I didn’t fancy strutting about in the market place surrounded by no-hopers in silly rosettes. I did manage  to get back in time to vote. The polling station was deserted apart from a damp LibDem candidate stood outside in the rain, and two bored clerks inside who looked like they needed a drink. I told them that the eight candidates looked to me like a bunch of Moabite wash pots and it probably wasn’t worth voting at all. They said that I was entitled to take such a view and to act upon it if I wished. I voted anyway. I didn’t attend the count but chose instead to stupefy myself by drinking a couple of bottles of a rather robust Italian red with my clever economist friend.

Celebrate summer – up to 50% off our gorgeous Green People organic skincare range

Treat yourself or someone special to some fabulous organic skincare products from the lovely Green People range.

Light and freshly scented, these products are ideally suited to more mature skins. 

Choose from Reviving Day and Night Cream, Firming Facial Gel (getting rave reports in our office!), a Rejuvenating Cleansing Balm; Toning Facial Mist (great for travelling and hot weather), Shower Wash, Body Lotion or a Sensuous Body Butter. Or create your own mini spa with a Weekend Pamper Gift set (which would also be the perfect present if you could bear to give it away!)

To make it even easier to splash out, we are offering up to 50% off our usual prices but stocks are limited so you will need to be quick!

Enjoy.