Looking forward to ageing

Not because the subject, Longer Working Lives, is inconsequential. Quite the opposite.

When Guernsey’s working population is thought likely to shrink by as much as 13% over the coming two decades while the overall population plateaus it is an important topic.

It’s just that the subject lacks the immediacy of changes to the secondary schooling system or the pressing need for new ideas for the economy.

The danger is that there will always be something to distract deputies, the media and islanders from giving full attention to the perils of an ageing population.

Employment and Social Security knows that, even as it lists the four major jobs already on its to-do list that have a higher priority than enabling people to work for longer.

A delay in the implementation of one of those four – the Disability and Inclusion policy – has already stretched the patience of its backers while the other three are all projects which should deliver significant social policy dividends.

This week’s Billet is therefore more of a positioning statement than a call to arms. Plans for longer working are for the medium- to long-term.

Some work is mapped out, such as consultation with employers and employees about flexible working with a view to making it a legal right and an investigation into age discrimination laws.

But all of that will take months, if not years, and require precious resources.

So, in terms of political heat, Longer Working is a slow burn.

That does not guarantee it an easy ride in the States, however.

As we saw last week with Deputy Peter Roffey’s intervention over e-census statistics, not everyone agrees the size of the working population is a huge problem, let alone one in urgent need of attention.

Nor will all deputies agree with more legal intervention in the workplace. Many would prefer employment issues to be a matter of good working practice.

The sooner such issues are resolved the better.