Younger workers negative about older colleagues

Close to half of the younger workers surveyed at a Melbourne company believed that workers stopped contributing to the business between 55 and 59 years of age.

Younger workers also saw very few good reasons for hiring older workers.

The older workers surveyed at the same company did not share these views. They saw themselves as highly valuable resources that continued contributing into their seventies.

Commenting on the survey results, National Seniors Australia chief executive, Michael O’Neill, said this confirms what many older workers have told us that once they reach their mid fifties they are seen as less productive and less important than their younger colleagues.

“These negative attitudes can lead to older workers being forced out of jobs and stop them getting new ones. Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show that older Australians experience longer periods of underemployment and over 40,000 seniors who want to work have given up looking because employers think they are too old.

“With attitudes like these it is little wonder that Australia has the lowest workforce participation rate for the over-55s of all English speaking OECD countries.

“Negative attitudes to older Australians go beyond the workplace and into the wider community. Leadership is need from governments, community organisations, employers and trade unions to tackle these attitudes.

“National Seniors is calling for tougher antidiscrimination legislation and an education campaign to tackle negative misconceptions about older Australians,” said Mr O’Neill.