The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has launched a series of proposals aimed at fundamentally changing employment policies and increasing opportunities for older workers.

Featuring among the proposals is a call to scrap the default retirement age. Under existing laws, workers can be forced to retire when they reach the age of 65, and although staff may make a request to remain in work, employers are not obliged to keep them on.

The EHRC believes that the economy would benefit significantly from the proposal, citing recent research from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research which suggests that extending working lives by 18 months would inject an additional £15bn into the UK economy.

Meanwhile, a survey carried out by the commission has revealed that a significant proportion of workers plan to keep working beyond the state pension age, although many older workers are being offered lower level, part-time work.

The EHRC is calling for the right to request flexible working to be extended to all employees to accommodate the needs of older workers, and for recruitment practices to be overhauled in order to prevent discrimination and improve training opportunities.

The proposals follow a previous decision by the Government to bring forward its review of the default retirement age.