Posts Tagged “mature age workers”

A tight jobs market could be a boon for older job seekers, but the often-overlooked demographic still faces a fight against deliberate and subconscious bias.

Older workers are being welcomed back amid the ongoing labour shortage.

Older workers are being welcomed back amid the ongoing labour shortage. Photo: Getty

Indeed talent strategy adviser Lauren Anderson said while there has been an uptick in older Australians looking for work based on recent economic challenges, the population in general is working longer.

“After all, 55 today looks different to 55 a couple of decades ago,” she said.

Some organisations, such as Bunnings, are “leading the way” in cultivating a diverse workforce.

But others are dragging their feet; Ms Anderson said by doing so, they’re depriving their younger workers of mentors, and representation for their older customers or clients.

Obstacles for older job seekers

With the increasing economic pressures on everything from housing to food, older Australians looking to stay employed or get back in the game are at a significant disadvantage.

This could have dire repercussions, particularly for older women, who form one of Australia’s fastest-growing homeless demographics thanks to a lifetime of earning lower wages than men, accumulating less superannuation than men, and takings more breaks from work to bear children and care for family.

A 2016 Australian Human Rights Commission report found people aged 55 years and over made up about a quarter of the national population, but only 16 per cent of the total workforce.

The report also found older people face longer periods of unemployment, with the average duration of unemployment for mature-age people sitting at 68 weeks, compared to 30 weeks for 15 to 24-year-olds and 49 weeks for 25 to 54-year-olds.

The age at which an employee would be considered an older worker varies between industries, although a 2021 Australian HR Institute report found the majority of HR leaders, academics and business leaders surveyed classified an ‘older worker’ as someone aged between 61 and 65.

Older workers can be a valuable resource for organisations. Photo: Getty

 Stereotypes

High salary expectations and a lack of technological skills were among the top reasons behind a reluctance to take on older workers in the report, but experts told TND knowledge and experience should trump everything else.

Fiona Macdonald, industrial and social policy director at the Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work, said presumptions that older workers won’t have, or be able to pick up, relevant skills, or are more prone to injury, are stereotypes that contribute to ageism.

The AHRC also found these sort of presumptions have been disproved.

“There are lots of benefits to hiring older workers,” Dr Macdonald said.

“Older workers can often mentor younger workers; older workers will have a lot of knowledge that’s very difficult to transfer into a younger workforce if you don’t have that diversity.”

Dr Macdonald said the onus is on employers to improve their recruitment practices and open their minds to a more diverse talent pool, including in regards to age.

Sidestepping ageism

But older workers can help matters by proactively networking, and thinking “creatively” about what kind of jobs to apply for.

Information such as university graduation dates, or dates in general, on a resume can be a dead giveaway to age.

But you don’t have to include them on a resume if you’re concerned about making it through the first stage of an application process, Ms Anderson said, as long you’re also not misrepresenting yourself or your age.

Hospitality worker

Some industries tend to employ a younger demographic, but they could be missing out on a large talent pool. Photo: Getty

She said upskilling by completing courses to keep skills and knowledge up to date could also be beneficial, as can getting a trusted friend to look over your resume and make sure you’re not selling yourself short.

And if you feel confident and comfortable doing so, feel free to bring up your age during a job interview to address any potential misgivings a potential employer might have.

At 3.7 per cent, the unemployment rate is still significantly lower than it was pre-pandemic, and Dr Macdonald said the tight labour market could lead to more opportunities for mature workers.

“When the labour market’s tight, employers are … willing to think a bit more creatively about diversity in the workforce,” she said.

“The other thing [is that] there has been much more focus on flexibility at work in recent times, and I think that can be really important for some older workers who often have other responsibilities [and] may be, depending on their age, wanting to transition out of full-time work.”

Source: Thenewdaily

Employers are becoming less ageist, changing their view of what age is considered old and increasingly recognising that mature workers are often more reliable, committed and able to cope with stress.

This is reflected in research by the Australian HR Institute and Australian Human Rights Commission, which found many organisations in 2023 defined “older” employees as 61-65 years of age, compared with 50-55 years of age in 2021.

The institute’s fifth survey on attitudes to age among employers – to which 297 HR professionals replied – found fewer employers have an age limit for candidates.

When its regular surveys began in 2014, more than half of employers (52 per cent) had a cut-off age, but only 18 per cent had age limits this year.

But age-related bias continues to exist about older and younger workers, including views that younger workers are less resilient and older workers are not as good with technology.

Only one quarter of employers were open to hiring workers aged over 65 “to a large extent”, while one in six organisations (18 per cent) said they would exclude candidates aged 65 or over from recruitment entirely, despite the fact two-thirds of the HR professionals said they were having difficulty finding staff.

The report, out on Monday, noted that there were 439,000 vacancies in the Australian economy in February 2023 – nearly double the pre-pandemic figure.

Nationally, the workforce grew by nearly 491,000 workers between October 2019 and October 2022, of which 186,000 – or 38 per cent – were aged 55 or over.

Professor Marian Baird, head of the Discipline of Work and Organisational Studies at the University of Sydney, said it was positive to see some changing attitudes from employers on age. “However, it’s very disappointing to still see discrimination occurring.”

“Over-50-women’s employment is the most significant growth in Australia’s labour force. This is also positive, but only if they are treated well and can find good quality, flexible work that recognises all the care demands many have,” she said.

Ben Fordham weighs in on author Jane Caro's 'ageism' claim 

2GB host Ben Fordham has cheekily suggested setting up a GoFundMe page for author Jane Caro and her husband after ageism comments.

Gerwyn Davies, research and policy specialist at the HR Institute, said only four per cent of the growth in employment is among workers aged 55 and above, but they make up 20 per cent of the workforce.

“They have not kept pace with other age groups [in the past year]. This is a massive shift,” he said.

The slowdown was possibly partly because employers were trying to get workers back into offices, and mature workers preferred flexibility.

“Increasing longevity is forcing people to recognise they need to work for longer, and we are seeing growing willingness of employers to take on older staff,” Davies said.

“The perception of what constitutes an older worker has risen, which is good news from the point of view of both employers and employees.”

The survey found the majority of employers think older workers are stronger on loyalty, attendance, durability and “awareness”, while younger workers had better “physical capability, ambition and proficiency in using technology”.

“Many respondents surveyed report no difference between older and younger workers in terms of job performance, concentration, ability to adapt to change, energy levels and creativity,” it noted.

As longer life means Australians need more savings, Age Discrimination Commissioner, Kay Patterson, said it was positive that 73 per cent of employers had employed older workers in the past year.

Employers think older workers are more resilient but less technologically savvy, stereotypes that Kay Patterson says must be broken.
Employers think older workers are more resilient but less technologically savvy, stereotypes that Kay Patterson says must be broken.CREDIT:SHUTTERSTOCK

Changes to working arrangements since the pandemic, when remote working became common, helped employers realise older workers had similar skill levels to younger peers.

“We need to debunk the myths ageism perpetuates and encourage employment across ages: sometimes employers are discriminating against younger people who have ‘not got enough experience’, so it’s not just going one way,” said Patterson, a former senator.

Lyn Tuit, a marketing and communications executive and chair of Alliance Francaise de Sydney, said she had not experienced ageism in the Australian workplace, and that the combination of younger and older people in teams benefits both groups, and their employer.

“One of the joys of working with a younger team is both parties bring something,” said Tuit, who describes her life-stage as at the beginning of her 70s.

“What an employer gets is someone who’s likely to stay, is not on the ladder upwards, so has longevity [at that workplace], and who will be able to mentor younger staff … and provide an alternative point of view.”

A key to maintaining workplace currency is embracing new technology, she said, and staying “up to or nearly up to” levels of proficiency younger workers have.

That discrimination against hiring older workers continues at nearly one in five organisations was “inexplicable” in the face of staff shortages, said Sarah McCann-Bartlett, Australian HR Institute chief executive.

She said it “does not match up with the reality” in workplaces that skills and experience of different age groups complement each other, benefiting the organisation.

“The research shows the perception of [HR] respondents is that older and younger workers have different skill sets, and that creates a more diverse workforce and provides the ability for older workers mentoring younger workers and vice versa,” she said.

The workforce participation rate of people aged 55 to 64 was 69.4 per cent this year, compared with 45 per cent in 1995.

Source: SMH

 

‘Since we’ve existed, we’ve valued having a diverse workforce and that’s included older workers,’ says CPO

Bunnings sees benefits of valuing older workers

The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) recently launched an initiative to connect older workers with employers. The pickyourpath.nz website is seen not only as an opportunity for the semi-retired who might be looking to mix short-term employment with retirement and regional travel, but also for organisations looking to recruit older workers.

One company that already knows the benefits of employing older workers is Bunnings.

“Since we’ve existed, we’ve valued having a diverse workforce and that’s included older workers,” says Damian Zahra, chief people officer at Bunnings.

“We’ve known for a really long time that our older team members play a really important part in creating a great place to work. They bring so much life experience, industry knowledge and trade experience – and our customers tell us regularly that they love that.”

Older workers make great mentors

Mature workers sharing their knowledge and wisdom doesn’t only benefit customers, adds Zahra.

“It’s terrific for our organisational culture and they actually become great mentors for a lot of our younger team as well.”

The ages of staff at Bunnings range from just 15 to some in their late 80s and even one person who’s 91.“For a lot of our older team members, while many have joined up post another career, a lot have been with us for their whole working life,” he says.

On average, roughly a third of Bunnings’ store team members are more than 50 years old while about 14% are aged over 60.

It wasn’t that Bunnings specifically set out to employ older workers when establishing its first warehouse branch nearly 30 years ago, says Zahra.

“An important part of our strategy for a long time has been to reflect the communities we operate in – that’s in our DNA. Part of that is embracing the wisdom that older team members bring.”

Multigenerational team helps business grow

Without doubt, this openness to older workers has helped the business grow, says Zahra. Not only are there benefits from the collegiality and insight a multigenerational team brings, but the mix of perspectives helps with innovating and decision-making, especially when helping customers solve problems.

“Reverse mentoring is actually very important, too,” he says, with many younger team members able to help seniors with aspects such as technology. “For a lot of our younger team, it’s their first job, so having the calmness of someone who’s got more life experience is really valuable. Our customers love it.”

Two years ago, the organisation introduced a Retiring Well programme that provides employees with support and information on transitioning into retirement. It allows them to plan ahead and provides advice on how they can enjoy financial, emotional and physical wellbeing in retirement.

“We also work closely with our team members to implement a tailored pathway to their retirement, which can allow them to reduce their hours over time to support a gradual transition,” says Zahra.

Some opt to change departments, for instance, to avoid heavy lifting, or for some it might mean a reduction in work hours or days over a period of time.

Workplace flexibility and older workers

One of the other benefits offered — which is well received by those of more senior years, as well as younger members — is the Travelling Team Member policy.

Not many people know about this outside of Bunnings but because we are lucky enough to have a network of stores across Australia and New Zealand, team members are able to work at different locations instead, so they have the flexibility not just based on hours, but also on location,” he says.

One older couple, who’ve been Travelling Team members for seven years, has been touring Australia with a caravan and worked at over 20 Bunnings stores.

“Workplace flexibility is something our team tells us they value enormously, regardless of which stage of life they’re at,” says Zahra.

“For a younger team member, it might be because they’re studying, or maybe those who have family commitments require flexibility. And we also find the same value for older team members who need flexibility to do things that are really important to them.”

More flexible approach to recruitment and training

The organisation’s flexibility extends to recruitment too – with written applications just as welcome from those who prefer to avoid tech – as well as the company’s approach to training, which also supports all ages.

Older team members value training as much as younger team members do too,” says Zahra.

“We like to think we create a place where everyone feels like they can be themselves and a really important part of that is that all of our team members, younger and older, can feel like their contributing to our high performing culture.”

Source: hcamag.com

By my 40s, I hope to be very comfortably established in my career, ensconced in a warm blanket of experience that makes me more valuable than ever to my employer.

But here’s a terrifying truth: age discrimination can start affecting you from 45, according to Diversity Council Australia.

Stereotypes about being too rigid, slow or technologically unsavvy abound and, depending on the type of work you do, that can mean work starts to dry up, or you find yourself unable to bounce back after redundancy.

As for those over 50, nearly 30 per cent of respondents to a 2018 survey by the Australian Human Rights Commission said their organisation was reluctant or unwilling to hire anyone over that age.

So if you’re finding yourself edged out at work, you’re not alone.

Executive to unemployed

Tim Hessell was 48 when a company restructure made his role as an HR executive redundant. It took him two years to find another full-time position, despite having 25 years of experience under his belt.

That’s when things really started to unravel.

Finding a permanent position proved impossible, so he took on a series of contract positions.

“While that started out positively, over the years that whittled away until at some stage, in one year, I went for 60 different roles and was unsuccessful in all of them,” Tim says.

“[I had gone] from what once would be regarded as a successful career as an executive, to then being unemployable for whatever reason.”

No-one ever told Tim he was too old to hire. Recruiters were more likely to say, “‘You’re over qualified’ or ‘You’re not the right fit’ or ‘We think it’s better we give this role to someone who can grow through it, rather than yourself’.”

It was a demoralising experience, leaving him anguished and confused. He wondered whether there was something wrong with him.

“Then I looked at other colleagues in similar industries who were [having a] similar sort of experience.” He realised wider factors were at play.

He decided to tackle the problem from another angle: going back to university to do a PhD on the causes of ageism in the workplace.

But not everyone has to take such drastic measures. Here are some first steps to consider, as well as advice on activating Plan B.

Laws around age discrimination

The first thing to know is that age discrimination in Australia is “absolutely illegal”, says Robert Tickner, co-chair of the EveryAge Counts campaign and former Labor Party cabinet minister.

“Every state and territory, plus the national parliament, has outlawed age discrimination,” he says.

“So if people do think they’ve got some clear evidence of discrimination, they may wish to talk to the Human Rights Commission.”

The Commission’s Australia-wide information line is 1300 656 419.

However, complaints can be hard to test, says Age Discrimination Commissioner Kay Patterson.

She shares examples of two cases that were successful:

  • A 56-year-old who stopped getting casual shifts as a kitchen hand. He was told a younger person was replacing him to cope with the busy Christmas period. He received approximately $1,800 in lieu of four weeks’ notice.
  • A 75-year-old who was falsely accused of breaching work safety rules and had his hours cut, after the HR manager found out his age. He was awarded around $4,500.

With all of us bound to age (if we’re lucky), Dr Patterson has this warning for employers: “The climate you set will be the climate you inherit.”

CV and skills check

While the onus is very much on employers to change their attitudes towards older workers, there are a few things you can do to bias-proof your CV.

“You don’t have to put in your date of birth, and you don’t have to put your entire employment history [on your CV],” Mr Tickner says.

“You can skilfully craft a resume that highlights your skills rather than all the jobs you’ve had.”

For the jobs you do list, perhaps stick to more recent roles.

If you’ve had the same role for several decades and now find yourself out of work, consider refreshing your skills.

That could mean doing a TAFE course, or online courses — anything “so you project that your skills remain relevant today,” Tim says.

Also think about how you can demonstrate the depth of your knowledge and experience.

“Older workers sometimes take a lot of what they’ve done for granted,” Tim says. “They never realise quite what they know and the insights they can bring to bear.”

So consider how to convey that — “Not in a way that positions you as, ‘Back in the old days, this is how we did it’, but in a way that people say, ‘Oh, I never thought about it that way.'”

Look after yourself

Being unemployed is stressful at any age, but there’s evidence that older workers experience longer periods of unemployment between jobs. Think of Tim’s two-year stint looking for work after he was made redundant the first time.

“The stress of being unemployed, of worrying, can lead to mental health issues and depression and the like,” but keeping fit and active can help you cope, he says.

“You don’t have to be an Arnold Schwarzenegger, or go to the gym seven days a week. Just looking after yourself will be important.”

Mr Tickner also went through a two-year period of searching for work, during which he became “desperately unhappy and lost a lot of self-esteem”.

In addition to regular exercise, he credits the support of close family and friends for keeping him going.

“It’s important people talk to their friends if they’re having tough times. If there’s a need to seek professional help, then do that.” Feeling down is perfectly normal, he adds.

Consider a Plan B

If you’re still struggling, it might be time to think about a backup option — though that may be challenging at first.

“My thoughts being a baby boomer were that life was going to be fairly linear and sequential. You went to school, got a job, worked, then retired. Life teaches you that’s not always the case,” Tim says.

“I’d say, don’t define yourself by the work that you’ve always done. What are the other things that interest you? What are the things that are going to give you some sense of meaning as a person?”

Tim says broadening your sense of identity will help you avoid losing confidence and becoming angry.

“That’s what led me to a PhD.”

Construction worker hammers a nail
Sometimes a plan B is necessary as you age.(Pexels)

There are options for people in manual work too.

“A number of ex-trades people have ended up in retail,” Mr Tickner says.

“For example, there are a lot of older people who work at Bunnings. They have transferable skills gained over a life time in a particular trade or industry, and now they’re using those to help people gain expertise in the shop.”

For anyone reinventing themselves, Mr Tickner has these words of encouragement:

“Take heart and give it a go, because you might be surprised by the richness of life experiences that might unfold for you.”

Coming full circle

Tim sees the irony of being a former HR executive who was edged out of work because of ageist recruiting practises.

Working on his PhD made him realise that he was unwittingly part of the problem he’s now inherited.

“I thought I had been quite innovative [during my time in HR]. What I realised I did was recruited lots of young people, lots of women, lots of people of different ethnic background — but I didn’t recruit many older people.”

Was he ageist himself?

“I was. I didn’t realise it, but I was.”

Part of the problem, he says, is that “sometimes when you’re young, you never realise you’ll get old”.

He’s hopeful his PhD will now put him in a better position to consult organisations on their recruitment strategies.

Source:ABC

Older Australians could be the beneficiaries of a plan to address a shortage of workers.

Federal opposition leader Peter Dutton has called on the government to double the amount that age pensioners can earn before their pension payments are affected.

Speaking with reporters, Mr Dutton said that lifting the Work Bonus amount at which pensioners begin to lose benefits from $300 to $600 could help alleviate the labour shortage facing businesses.

Currently, those receiving the Age Pension can earn up to $180 per fortnight for singles, and up to $320 per fortnight for couples, on top of the Work Bonus amount, before their pension payments are reduced.

“This is about those who want to work and do an extra day or two … and for it not to affect their pension,” Mr Dutton said.

“I really think it’s a policy that the Albanese government should pick up because the economy demands it now.”

Read: Retail body pressures government on Age Pension work rules

Mr Dutton said Treasury had costed the plan at around $112 million annually, and it would be reviewed each year if implemented.

In a rare show of potential bipartisanship, new Treasurer Jim Chalmers told the ABC’s Insiders program that his government was open to the idea of easing the rules, but he had concerns about the cost of the program.

“When it comes to this issue, I’ve had good, productive conversations with National Seniors and others about whether or not we can do something here,” he said.

“The truth is, in a budget which has got that trillion dollars in debt, we’ve got to weigh up all of these ideas and work out where we can get the best bang for buck.

“Because even an idea like this, which appears to be relatively modest, it still comes with a relatively hefty price tag.”

Mr Chalmers said the idea would be on the agenda at Labor’s ‘jobs summit’, set to be held sometime before the October Budget.

Business groups applaud the plan. Innes Willox, chief executive of national employer association the Ai Group, says encouraging older Australians back to work will bring decades of experience back to the economy.

“Tens of thousands of Australians now receiving a pension can potentially make a huge contribution to the workforce with their skills, experience and mentoring,” he says.

“Our policy settings need to move with the times and allowing older Australians to work more is one way of easing the labour pressures on business.”

Employers may say they support older workers returning to work, but are businesses willing to hire them?

EveryAGE Counts campaign director Dr Marlene Krasovitsky welcomes initiatives to break down structural barriers to older people working, but says we also need to break down attitudinal barriers given the prevalence of ageism among employers.

“Recent research by the Australian HR Institute revealed 47 per cent of Australian businesses say they are reluctant to recruit workers ‘over a certain age’,” says Dr Krasovitsky.

“For more than two-thirds of the group admitting to ageism, that ‘certain age’ was over 50. So the chances of an over-65 getting a fair go in a job interview is extremely slight.

“If we want to harness the unquestionable value of over-65s in the workforce, we need to look ageism squarely in the face, admit that it’s a problem, and work hard to break it down.

Source: yourlifechoices.com.au

Harold, who is the store’s oldest team member, started working at the Canberra airport store when he was 87.

In celebration of his recent 91st birthday, the Bunnings team have shared a bit about his inspiring life story.

“Harold started his career at 16 years of age as a fitting and machinery apprentice, went on to become a mechanical engineer by trade and has worked across a wide range of industries during his career – such as sales, operations, maintenance and industry safety,” a post on the Bunnings LinkedIn page read.

At 91, Harold is Bunnings’ oldest staff member. Picture: Bunnings/LinkedIn

At 91, Harold is Bunnings’ oldest staff member. Picture: Bunnings/LinkedIn

Harold now mainly works at either the tool shop register or one of the front registers.Sign up

The 91-year-old believes the best thing about working at Bunnings is his team, saying he always appreciates how they regularly check-in with him to see how he is going.

“His favourite Bunnings memory is having over 400 team members acknowledge his birthday on Bunnings’ internal social network, and was blown away by the response and the well-wishes,” the post read.

The team at the Canberra Airport store all love Harold’s “humble nature” and “go-getter energy”, adding he is always ready to contribute to projects and tasks.

Harold also offered some advice to those considering rejoining the workforce later in life, saying his view is that you are “never to old” to work.

“He joined Bunnings when he was 87 and believes that age should never be a barrier, as you should focus on your strengths and capabilities,” the post read.

“Harold also adds that many customers, as well as his team, appreciate the experience and knowledge of older team members.”

Harold started working at Bunnings when he was 87. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Mariuz

Harold started working at Bunnings when he was 87. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Mariuz

Earlier this year, Bunnings claimed the award for Australia’s strongest brand after the chain saw an influx of customers keen to work on DIY renovation and gardening projects during Covid lockdowns.

Woolworths and Officeworks were awarded second and third place for strongest brands in a new report from Brand Finance Australia.

Its rankings are based on analysis of company’s marketing investment, familiarity, loyalty, staff satisfaction and corporate reputation.

The hardware giant was recognised for its outstanding public perception in terms of quality, innovation, value for money, loyalty and customer service.

Bunnings managing director Mike Schneider credited the team for providing friendly and helpful service every day, despite difficult circumstances.

“Even during a really challenging period for all Australians, the resilience, care and support our team have demonstrated is testament to the importance of creating a people-first culture, and why our team remains the heart of the Bunnings brand,” he said.

Source:News.com.au

The share of the workforce aged 55 or over may be increasing, but that doesn’t mean older Australians are not facing significant barriers and discrimination.

A new national survey has revealed that ageism is on the rise in Australia, with 37 per cent of over-50s now reporting having experienced ageism, which was up from 33 per cent in 2018.

The Council on the Ageing’s (COTA) State of the Older Nation report also revealed 26 per cent of respondents had experienced employment-related discrimination since turning 50 – up from 22 per cent in 2018 when the last survey was conducted.

Last week, YourLifeChoices reported that the share of the workforce aged 55 plus has more than doubled from 9 per cent in 1991 to 19 per cent in 2021 and is projected to reach 40 per cent by 2050.

However, older Australian advocacy group EveryAGE Counts believes the figures from the COTA study show that ageism is becoming a “national crisis”.

EveryAGE Counts campaign director Marlene Krasovitsky said these worrying trends show that ageism is no longer an issue that can be ignored.

“Too many are accustomed to laughing off incidents of ageism as relatively trivial, but we know it’s doing real damage to millions of Australian lives,” Ms Krasovitsky said.

“The fact that 37 per cent of Australians over 50 have been discriminated against should be considered a national crisis. And to see ageism on the rise since 2018 is particularly alarming.

“Most Australians are living longer, healthier lives. Yet ageist attitudes and practices continue to exclude, diminish and marginalise older people. Workforce discrimination, for example, hurts not just older Australians, but the entire community and our economy.”

Ms Krasovitsky said until people started recognising the problem, ageism would continue to rise and that could have a serious impact on people’s health.

“Changing social norms is never easy, but it starts with acknowledging the problem as serious,” Ms Krasovitsky said. “We need to stop shrugging off incidents of ageism and start calling them out.

“The World Health Organization recently found older people who hold negative views about their own ageing will live 7.5 years less, on average, than those with positive attitudes.

“How can you not develop negative attitudes when over a third of Australians over 50 are being discriminated against, and the rest of us are forced to see and hear ageist views on a daily basis?”

While the State of the Older Nation report had some alarming figures on age-based discrimination, it also showed that only 49 per cent of those aged 65 had retired, which was down significantly from 2018 when 60 per cent had retired.

Also, the proportion of people aged 65 to 69 who said they wanted more paid work has doubled from 2018 (15 per cent to 31 per cent)

Those figures may reflect that the Age Pension eligibility age has also changed in that time, but does also demonstrate that older Australians are staying in the workforce longer, but are not getting as much work as they want or need.

According to the survey, 25 per cent of those who are still working do not think that they will ever retire, which was up slightly from 24 per cent in 2018.

Source: Yourlifechoices.com.au

As Australia’s vaccination rate heads towards meeting important targets, economists are no clearer on how the shockwaves caused by the COVID-19 pandemic will play out in the months to come.

There are fears that as business slowly starts to pick up around the country, growth will be slowed by a significant labour shortage, with many older workers, who may have lost work, choosing not to return to the workforce.

A CommSec Economic Insight analysing detailed labour force data has found that lockdowns in NSW and Victoria have scrambled the figures, but appear to point to many older Australians not returning to the workforce.

The report explains that prior to the pandemic, one of the major reasons that Aussies were not employed or looking for jobs was that they had retired and were out of the job market.

 In April 2018, a record 38.7 per cent of people aged 65 and over said that they were ‘permanently not intending to work’, which was a significant increase from the 33 per cent that answered that way in September 2014.

Prior to COVID-19, the figures showed a reassessment, with the proportion of those not in the workforce because they were retired falling from 38.7 per cent to a three-year low of 35.3 per cent in July 2019.

The effect of COVID hitting shortly after this change has made it impossible to determine if this was the start of a trend, the CommSec economists explain.

That is because more people left the job market over lockdown periods because they were not employed but were not looking for work because they were likely to return to their employer when businesses reopened.

That meant that the proportion of those not in the workforce because they were retired hit a record 39.9 per cent of the total in June 2021 and this has since fallen to a low of 36.4 per cent in September 2021.

“If more people are electing to retire, then there are fewer potential workers to fill positions,” Mr James said. “That may mean the job market tightens more than generally expected, putting upward pressure on wages and prices. And that is especially the case if foreign borders stay closed.

“Older Aussies may see greater health risks in being in the job market in the COVID era. And still others may elect to live large given the experience of the past 18 months.

“At this stage data still shows that older Aussies are active in the job market with record participation levels. However, peak levels may not be far away.”

Earlier this year, ANZ chief executive Shayne Elliott said that employers should turn to older Australians to address labour shortages.

Mr Elliott explained that ANZ had found older workers more effective in customer service roles and better able to empathise with customers in difficulty due to more life experience than younger workers.

In November last year, a research discussion paper commissioned by Sustainable Population Australia (SPA) said that the proportion of workers over 65 would settle at around 28 to 33 per cent and that over-65s would never outnumber younger adults.

Source:Yourlifechoices

If you’ve just come out of yet another stint of working from home through a lockdown, and you’re feeling both physically and mentally exhausted, you are not alone.

During the pandemic, 85 per cent of employees globally experienced higher burnout and nearly half reported having worse work/life balance.

If your boss is behaving like the last two years were just a bump in the road and is asking you to turn your attention to chasing down new targets and performance goals, you are not alone. 56 per cent of CEOs are gearing up for growth next year.

For many of us, it will feel like reaching the finishing line of a marathon, then being asked to start a triathlon.

The unrelenting pressure on already burnt out and psychologically damaged knowledge workers has prompted a phenomenon called ‘The Great Resignation’, and it will lead to the biggest movement of talent that Australia, and the rest of the world, has ever seen.

Aussies are sick of being overworked and are on the lookout for new opportunities. Picture: iStock

Aussies are sick of being overworked and are on the lookout for new opportunities. Picture: iStock

Fight or flight: is your job a threat to your wellbeing?

The question that keeps coming up is ‘why’? Why are we feeling this way? Why does it feel like it will be easier to just cut and run?

It’s ironic that in a time when our lives are so reliant on technology, the answer is somewhat primal.

When exhausted or threatened, people go into fight or flight mode, and most knowledge workers will know this feeling.

We fought hard to save our jobs and our way of life from the economic threat in front of us. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Australians and their APAC colleagues have worked longer hours, taken on more additional tasks and worked on days off more than in any other part of the world.

Now, as the dust settles, the economy improves and the breadth of job opportunities increases, people are reflecting on their experiences. The perceived need to be ‘always available’ for work without any additional recognition, respect or reward has many realising that work itself is now a threat to their happiness, health, relationships and mental outlook.

Decompression will send employees out the door, unless work culture changes

This instinctive human response to threats makes room for bold choices that will play out in one of two ways, but both ultimately end with a mass movement of talent in the workforce.

Many workers in Australia feel their relationship with their job is irreparably broken and will flee from what feels like a toxic relationship. For others, the simple desire for change, to say, “it’s not you, it’s me” and draw a line under the past two years will be overwhelming.

Homeschooling and the pandemic have made people reconsider their work/life balance.

In the coming months we’re likely to see an emancipation on a scale we’ve never seen before as people change roles or start entirely new careers.

If this feels like you, be aware that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Starting a new role, establishing new networks and developing new skills takes time and energy, of which Aussies have precious little.

On the other hand, others will choose to fight for the life and lifestyle they feel they now deserve. Flexibility, respect and purpose will become the minimum employee demands.

Organisations who do not meet those needs will lose staff. Those willing to embrace radical flexibility, human-centric work design and progressive social causes will become talent magnets.

It’s worth reminding your boss of this if you choose to have a discussion about the future of your role. The best place to start is examining what you need to change about your job and be firm about what you’ll accept as minimum.

It also needs to be said that the luxury to reconsider a job or entire career is reserved predominantly for knowledge workers who enjoy a higher-than-average sense of economic stability. Many lower-paid or frontline workers will not have the luxury to make these decisions.

Rewriting the social contract: the rise of the four-day work week?

When economic conditions swing wildly in the favour of workers, it tends to pave the way for massive societal change. Take the introduction of the 40-hour work week, or how WWII paved the way for women to enter jobs previously reserved only for men.

We’re seeing the same thing in 2021. With the job market heavily favouring jobseekers, the premiums being offered to secure talent make a job change are an alluring prospect for most workers.

Combine that with an increased desire for flexibility in a role and Australians’ willingness to change jobs, and companies will be forced to come up with solutions that don’t involve a pay rise.

Imagine staying on the salary you’re on, but only working four days. Sounds appealing, right?

Whether you choose to flee or to fight for better, the future of Australia’s work practices are in your hands. There’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Australians to transform how we work and seize the lifestyle we want, but it won’t come from a job-switch alone.

As we enter this new era, it’s important to remember that we work to live, we don’t live to work. Prioritise your wellbeing and be clear with your employer about what you need. After the last two years, we all deserve at least that.

Aaron McEwan is a behavioural scientist, coaching psychologist and vice president for global research and advisory firm, Gartner | @aaronmcewan

Source: News.com.au

 

New research of Australia’s older workers has found that experiences of age discrimination in the workplace have almost doubled in the last five years.

According to the Australian Seniors Series: Ageing in the Workforce 2021 report, one in five workers (20.7%) aged over 50 has encountered age discrimination in the workplace – twice as many compared to 2016 (9.6%). Just over 40% say they have felt patronised in the workplace because of their age.

Despite the prevalence of ageism, more than three quarters of Australians aged over 50 want to keep working indefinitely and almost 90% of retirees plan to re-enter the workforce. Finance was identified as the biggest reason, followed by missing their job, boredom and a lack of social connection.

Speaking at a recent virtual roundtable, attended by HRD, industry experts discussed the new findings, sharing common misconceptions and ways to address ageism in the workplace. Tai Mavins, social research expert and consulting partner at Mymavins, said the events of the past 18 months have made things even more difficult for older workers.

“Over one in two seniors feel that Covid has made it harder to get work, and close to one in five feel that recent events have impacted their retirement plans, so it’s bringing a lot of uncertainty into their working life,” Mavins said. “In response to this, we actually see that one in four seniors admit to trying to make themselves look younger in the workplace or when they’re applying for jobs. That includes things from dying their hair, wearing the latest fashion, getting the latest haircut and makeup styles.”

Older workers are also becoming increasingly proactive at upskilling to keep up with advancing industry trends, with many branching out into new career paths.

“We found that close to three in five seniors plan to or already have reskilled or sought further training to improve their prospects since turning 50,” Mavins said. “What’s probably most interesting about that is as many as half of those people who are looking to reskill have done that in new areas, so they’re really expanding their horizons and moving beyond past roles.”

The research shows that the appetite to work and to continue learning is there. Like many nations, Australia has an ageing population, and the rising cost of living means people are working till later in life. So how do HR leaders address the causes of age discrimination and foster a truly inclusive workplace?

Humphrey Armstrong, an organisational psychologist at Lifelong Learning, said much of the problem stems back to commonly held misconceptions, like older employees costing more, being more difficult to train, or being resistant to change.

“I think one of the fascinating things is that emotional intelligence, or emotional capabilities actually increase with age well into a person’s 70s,” he said. “In terms of resistance to change, I think if older people know why change is needed and how to change they are prepared to jump on board.”

Armstrong pointed out that twice as many start-ups are initiated by over 50s than people in their twenties. Clearly, there is a huge amount of value in the learned knowledge, intuition and life experience of an older worker. But for a workforce to be inclusive of all ages, ageism needs to be more widely talked about, Armstrong said.

“We hear a lot about gender diversity, especially over the last few months, but in fact, age diversity is often ignored. We’ve got to actually bring that in and really reinforce the issue,” Armstrong said. “Research studies show that diversity is an incredible advantage in organisational life, it increases profitability, creativity, enhances governance, and it also enables better problem solving.

“And as mentioned, emotional intelligence can increase with age so there’s this huge resource where older people are, in fact, very valuable and very skilled at handling tricky interpersonal problems and generally they are better able to cope with ambiguity.”

Lisa Sinclair, editor-in-chief at DARE Magazine, said she’d like to see more organisations introducing policies to support women going through menopause and acknowledge the pressures on the “sandwich generation” who may be supporting both elderly parents and older children. There are also simple measures to improve inclusivity during the recruitment process.

“I would love it if companies in general stopped advertising for unicorns, which are these mythical creatures that have 15 different boxes to tick,” she said. “I mean that’s hard enough for any age but I think it could be particularly confronting for the over 50s who might be put off for applying for jobs just because there’s one element they don’t meet.”

Source:HRD

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