June Bullen believes that, at 59, she does a far better job as a nurse than she did 10 years ago. "I have the skills and experience that I didn't have back then," she says. "I often find that the patients like the fact that I'm older too, especially when they themselves are more mature. They feel I can better relate to what they are going through. It's not that I think younger nurses aren't important too - it's just that we bring different kinds of added value to the job at different ages."

The problem is that there is no law against age discrimination, leaving people like June in a vulnerable position. She explains: "In my current job, my employers recognise my age as a benefit. But in other NHS trusts I've worked for, I have been treated as 'over the hill' and 'past my sell-by date', which almost made me leave the profession altogether in dismay."

Welcome news, then, that in October 2006 legislation will finally make age discrimination illegal in the UK - both in the public and private sector. "The finer details are yet to be confirmed, but generally it is looking positive," says Sam Mercer, director for the Employers Forum on Age (EFA).

The Government has adopted a three-stage consultation process to ensure that the law really will work. Mercer explains: "The first was in spring 2002 and introduced a broad overview of the issues that needed to be looked at, such as retirement, redundancy and unfair dismissal. The second was last summer, when the implications of legislation around these issues were explored in greater detail. Currently, the Government is wading through the responses and getting ready for the final process this year, when draft regulations will be put out for consultation."

Whilst some employers will have to make significant changes once the new law comes in, others are well on the way already. Mercer admits that it's a mixed picture in the public sector: even those organisations with clear age policies can suffer from a gap between policy and practice. "But we have recently experienced a rise in the number of public sector employers contacting us to ask about ways to improve practice - the Metropolitan Police among them," she says. "Other employers, who started looking at their attitude to age some time ago, now have some really innovative examples of improving the situation."

Addenbrooke's NHS Trust in Cambridge is a case in point. Its flexible retirement scheme is part of a national NHS programme of flexible retirement, aimed at helping the NHS match demand for services with existing staffing levels - particularly at critical times of the year such as winter. Options include "wind down" - where staff can reduce their hours in their current post without losing pension benefits; "step down" - allowing a move to a less-demanding and lower-paid role that preserves the pension benefits accrued in a higher-level post; and "retire and come back" - where employees can retire and start receiving their pension, but return to carry on with part-time or full-time work for an indefinite period.

Oonagh Monkhouse, the trust's assistant director of human resources (HR), says the main advantage is retaining trained staff. "Staff may not want to continue in a fast-paced demanding role but they do not want to stop working completely," she says. "So if we can offer them the flexibility to change their role whilst not having a detrimental effect on their pension, we can encourage them to stay and that's a benefit to us."

Meanwhile, the Teacher Training Association (TTA) has focused not only on retaining older people, but on attracting them into teaching in the first place. "People changing careers don't usually want to start from scratch and go into full-time and unpaid training," says Mary Doherty, director of teacher supply and recruitment. "So we have introduced flexibility in our training routes, which includes options to suit the over-fifties."

Other innovative examples in the public sector include using telephone interviewing to avoid discrimination at the recruitment stage, and specialist IT learning clubs for the over-fifties. The Government has been encouraging the public sector - for example via the publication of the Winning the Generation Game report in 2000, which included recommendations for the civil service as an employer. One of the most visible changes following the report has been in retirement ages. From a common retirement age of 60 years, more than 85 per cent of civil servants now have the opportunity to continue beyond that age.
A guide entitled Managing the Careers of the Over Forties has given impetus to progress in age diversity in the wider public sector. It identified issues to be faced by employers, including recognising and making full use of the older worker, investing in the health of older workers and removing barriers to recruitment and career progression. In addition, the guide focused on key areas for employees, such as how to manage careers and plan for change.

One local authority, Leeds city council, has been given recognition by the Department of Health and Pensions as a champion of age equality, having improved retention rates and staff morale through its policies. Christine Atkinson, the HR policy manager, says, "The most important thing is not to stereotype people according to age and to make sure that employees of all ages are encouraged to develop their potential."

A growing number of public sector employers are following this trend, with many signing up to the Government's Age Positive programme, which promotes a set of standards aimed at eliminating age discrimination. Patricia Hewitt, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and Minister for Women and Equality, explains, "Some organisations are really good at recruiting older people, but there aren't enough of them. Over and over again in my constituency, there are people who can't even get an interview and it is disgusting. So the campaign is important because it helps to show the benefits of older workers and how to get more of them, and we have some great business leaders backing it."

Among the benefits of employing older people are that they have better attendance records and are more committed to their employers than their younger counterparts, according to a growing pool of research. "Our latest study shows that employees over 55 are more satisfied and motivated than younger workers," adds Mike Emmott, an advisor for the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

The older a person, he explains, the more likely they are to be able to deal confidently with conflicts and uncertainties that arise in all areas of life, including work. "People in their twenties are often torn by all sorts of issues - Should I have done this job this way? Am I pleasing the boss enough? Am I in the right job? Life experience teaches you how to cope with these kinds of things in a less stressful way."

Robert Critchely, author of Rewired, Rehired, or Retired?, adds that it is wrong to assume older people are slow, can't learn new skills, resist change and are less productive than younger workers. "Intellectual ability rarely declines seriously before the age of 70, and even that boundary is probably receding," he says.

But age diversity is not just about focusing on older people, as many public sector organisations know all too well. "The challenge for a lot of these employers, particularly local authorities, is attracting and holding onto younger workers," says Sam Mercer.

A spokesperson for Oxfordshire county council explains, "It was 1997 when we woke up in horror to the fact that only 13 per cent of our workforce were under 30 years old and that a mere one per cent were under 21. Although it was partly due to a high level of outsourcing in the nineties and the reduction of trainee posts, the major reason seemed to be the high level of part-time jobs which tend to suit older people."

Having done some research, the council also discovered that some young people viewed the council as a "middle-aged" organisation and consequently didn't even want to work there, even when there were full-time vacancies.
Introducing work experience placements was one main change: if possible, students and graduates are offered placements in areas with current or predicted skills shortages. In addition, the council increased the number of trainee posts as well as expanding the level and amount of training and development.

Nobody would deny that there is a long way to go before the public sector is entirely age positive. But it is also clear that much has been achieved in recent years and that many are well prepared for the forthcoming legislation. Cathy Watts, a 59-year-old senior manager for the IT department at Leeds city council, says, "I was 50 when I joined this organisation and despite the stereotypes about all people in IT being young, I am not in the minority here. In fact, age has never been an issue for me with this employer. I'm currently gaining a new qualification and I got a new post in the last two weeks."

'We welcome the challenge'

Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council is overhauling its policies and procedures around diversity to include a focus on age. "The main driver is preparation for the forthcoming legislation," admits Alan Schofield, cabinet spokesperson for corporate services. "But that's not to say we aren't pleased about the change. Up until recently, most people took diversity to mean gender and ethnicity and we welcome the fact that it now includes age."

Among the new initiatives are reducing the number of early retirements and ensuring that retirement is flexible. "When people retire early, it's a burden on both the local authority and the pension fund," explains Schofield. "We are also getting ready to train existing staff to dispel some of the stereotypes based on age."

Recruitment criteria is also being addressed. "Ads must no longer say anything like, 'Young, energetic person required'," says Schofield. Harassment policies will be re-worked, as well as pay and non-pay benefits.

"All this is a lot of extra work and responsibility," remarks Schofield. "But we are excited about the challenge. We feel that age discrimination must be stopped, and that we, as an employer, will benefit."