26 September 2023

Online kit for old age workers

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The Australian Human Rights Commission has developed a new online toolkit for the NSW Government to help employers, managers and HR professionals engage and retain older workers.

The toolkit, entitled Multigenerational workforces: a guide to the rights of older workers under the Age Discrimination Act 2004, steps up the fight against age discrimination in the workplace.

Minister for Seniors, John Sidoti said it made no sense to have such a highly skilled, experienced section of the community sidelined from work.

“Research shows that potential employers too often overlook, poorly manage and disregard older workers,” Mr Sidoti said.

“That’s why we’ve worked with our partners at the Australian Human Rights Commission to develop a toolkit to help employers recognise and reject unlawful age discrimination and start discovering the benefits of older workers.”

Mr Sidoti urged businesses to use the guide as a first step in changing their workplaces for the better.

“Employers have the power to build broadly skilled, multigenerational workplaces that contribute to longer, healthier and more productive working lives for Australians,” he said.

Age Discrimination Commissioner with the Human Rights Commission, Kay Patterson said the guide showed how excluding older workers deprived employers of willing, skilled and dedicated staff with a lifetime of varied experiences.

“Australians are increasingly continuing to work and wanting to work as they get older,” Dr Patterson said.

“But data shows that 30 per cent of employers are still reluctant to hire workers over a certain age and for most of those employers that age is 50”.

The new 24-page Guide can be accessed on the Human Rights Commission website at this PS News link.

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