Editor’s picks

Latest news from around the world on mature workers for December 2021.

  • Challenge of meeting ageing population’s needs (Bangladesh)

    The current median age of the population of Bangladesh is 27.6 years and within a decade it will become 31.6 years; this suggests a continuing demographic shift, and available evidence suggests that it will become more evident in the coming years. A similar crisis will appear in Bangladesh that other developed countries have been going through for the last several decades. It will become a critical national issue and it is a good time to start discussing, understanding, and addressing the economic security, health and wellbeing needs and issues of this growing ageing population and the overall impact this changing population dynamics will have on the society and economy.  Financial Express 18 December 2021

  • Asking someone in their 60s when they plan to retire is age discrimination, tribunal rules (UK)

    Someone 30 years younger would not be asked about their plans to stop work as they would not be in a position to start taking their pension, a judge found. Raising the prospect of retirement to someone approaching pensionable age – if they want to continue working – is therefore ‘unfavourable treatment’, Employment Judge James Bax said.  Wales Online 16 December 2021

  • Ageing Australian workforce ready

    Many Australian companies have been slow to engage with the realities of an ageing workforce. This has led to the creation of the Ageing Workforce Ready project. The project is an innovative collaboration between Australia’s largest super fund, AustralianSuper, and, work-life transition experts Transitioning Well.  Mirage 13 December 2021

  • 44% of staff expect to work past state pension age (UK)

    Two in five (44%) UK workers now predict they will work beyond their state pension age, according to fresh data.  Employee Benefits 13 December 2021

  • The challenge of not having one for mum, dad and the country

    Australia’s fertility rate has plummeted to record lows, leaving policymakers facing the tricky question of how to deal with the economic consequences of smaller families.

    “I know it sounds like it’s not going to help people under 30 to address issues of age discrimination, but it does because the 30-year-old who wants to have kids is quickly going to be the 50-year-old who wants to stay in the job market,” Huntley says.  Australian Financial Review 10 December 2021

  • Starbucks facing class action age discrimination lawsuit

    Showing a preference for younger employees can violate the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) and land a company in court — something coffee giant Starbucks is facing right now. A nationwide class action lawsuit has been filed, claiming the company was not only biased toward young workers, but it showed a “blatant campaign of age discrimination in hiring.”  HR Morning 7 December 2021

  • Interview notes defeat applicant’s age bias claim

    Athletic directors at Indiana University South Bend did not discriminate against an older applicant when a younger person was chosen to fill an open role. Evidence highlighted an interviewer’s notes, which included a comment that the plaintiff was “looking for a retirement job”. Other comments revealed why the plaintiff was rejected: his poor interview performance — not his age.  HR Dive 3 December 2021

  • Overcoming Unconscious Age Bias: An Expert’s Advice

    How does unintentional bias relate to ageism? You know, it’s so interesting. When we encounter another person, there are three characteristics that we categorize immediately: race, gender and age. Race and gender have an enormous amount of research literature — documenting bias, analyzing it. There’s very little research, relatively, about ageism and age bias.  Next Avenue 3 December 2021