Mel Stride lauds flexible working at firms such as Deliveroo amid post-Covid surge in economic inactivity
Over-50s looking for work should consider delivering takeaways and other flexible jobs typically occupied by younger people, the work and pensions secretary has said.
Mel Stride’s comments came during a visit to the London headquarters of the food delivery firm Deliveroo, which has recorded a 62% increase in riders aged over 50 since 2021.
In an interview with the Times during his visit to the food delivery company, Stride said these flexible jobs offered “great opportunities” and that it was “good for people to consider options they might not have otherwise thought of”.
Stride said: “What we’re seeing here is the ability to log on and off any time you like, no requirement to have to do a certain number of hours over a certain period of time, which is driving huge opportunities.”
He added that employers could also benefit from widening their recruitment pool to “access all the available talent”, and that flexible working can attract older workers. This builds on his earlier comments that these jobs suit workers with disabilities.
On the recently introduced digital “mid-life MOTs”, which are designed to help older workers with financial planning, health guidance and career skills, Stride said: “You really do need to sensibly stop, take where you are in life, and assess whether for example you’ve got enough money to get you through with the kind of lifestyle and living standards that you’re expecting.”
