Older Australians who struggle to make ends meet or try to improve their quality of life flood the national job market in large numbers, but many find their skills and experience are not valued by employers.
According to the Australian Human Rights Commission, more than a quarter of Australians over the age of 50 have experienced some sort of age discrimination in recent years. Four out of ten organisations admit that they will not employ people over 65 years old. As Australia's demographics change and its population ages, it Is of national importance that businesses engage and retain older workers.
There are three broad categories of strategies which ADIs can adopt in order to maximise the value of their older workers:
Involve and retain older workers to ensure current and future productivity.
Understand the impact of age discrimination as a barrier to the participation of older workers.
Build flexibility into the workplace and facilitate a flexible career that is suitable for older workers.