Mature workers news round up – January 2021

Taiwan: Middle-aged and Senior-aged Employment Promotion Act commences

To address the challenges arising from an aging population, the Middle-aged and Senior-aged Employment Promotion Act (the Act) was promulgated in December 2019 but only came into force on 04 December 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of the Act is to increase the employment rate for middle-aged (45 to 65 years old) and senior-aged (over 65 years old) people, including citizens and qualified foreigners.  – Global Compliance News, 31 January 2021

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Australia could be facing shortage of pharmacists

A growing number of registered pharmacists don’t plan to stay in the profession for more than 10 years, new research has found.

A study led by Monash University’s Project Pharmacist team found that the number of registered, working pharmacists in Australia is growing at a substantially lower rate than the total of all other registered health professions.  – Australian Journal of Pharmacy online, 29 January 2021

A fall in student numbers across the country, as well as changes to immigration policy, have contributed to an ageing of the pharmacist workforce and lower growth rate compared to other health professions.

EU Commission launches debate on responding to the impact of an ageing population 

The European Commission has released a green paper to launch a broad policy debate on the challenges and opportunities of Europe’s ageing society. It sets out the impact of this pronounced demographic trend across the economy and society and invites the public to express their views on how to respond to this in a public consultation, which will run for 12 weeks.  – EU Reporter, 29 January 2021

Why Is ‘Age-Proofing’ Your Resume Even a Thing?

A new AARP survey finds that 57% of people aged 50 to 65 facing job insecurity feel prepared to “age-proof your resume, including removing dates that can be used to determine your age.” OK, interesting, but why is age-proofing your resume even a thing?  The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 forbids discrimination against people aged 40 and older. (Thus protecting Tom Brady, 43, quarterback of the Super Bowl-bound Tampa Bay Buccaneers.)  – Bloomberg, 29 January 2021

Survey highlights high levels of perceived ageism at work (UK)

Over two fifths of older workers have experienced age discrimination at work, with the recruitment process being the worst offender, according to a workingwise.co.uk survey.

The survey of more than 600 workers aged 50 and over, sponsored by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme and UBS, found 44% had experienced age discrimination at work compared to 41% who had not, with 48% singling out the recruitment process, compared to 40% who felt sidelined or left out of discussions at work generally and 24% who said they had experienced discrimination when it comes to promotion.  – HR News, 28 January 2021

Keeping Older Workers Safe and Productive (USA)

Many older workers have chosen to retire early instead of risking their health to go to work. However, as the COVID-19 vaccine rolls out and more businesses recall employees to physical workspaces, older employees who are still working remotely may have to decide if they’re going to return.  – SHRM, 27 January 2021

Testing times for labour force (Thailand)

As the Kingdom becomes an ageing society, it faces a chronic lack of migrant workers who have fled to their home countries.  – Bangkok Post, 26 January 2021

Over-50s three times more likely to be long-term unemployed, analysis reveals (UK)

Experts call for employment policies that harness the ‘often overlooked talent’ of older workers. The over-50s are almost three times more likely to be out of employment for at least two years than other age groups, analysis of official figures shows.  – People Management, 19 January 2021

Over-50s who lose jobs much more likely to stay unemployed, study finds (UK)

People aged over 50 who lose their jobs are significantly more likely to suffer long-term unemployment than other age groups, analysis has revealed.  – The Guardian, 18 January 2021

Ageism threatens crisis for older workers in redundancy (Scotland)

Fears have been raised that ageism in the recruitment process could exacerbate an unemployment crisis for over-50s in the year ahead, with the pandemic-driven shift towards remote hiring creating further hurdles for those made redundant in the coming months.

A new report by the Centre for Ageing Better found that most employers do not consider age bias in recruitment to be a “problem” in their organisation, despite evidence of a range of negative perceptions towards older applicants. These included assumptions such as older workers not wanting to fill junior roles, or that they have “poor IT skills” or look “worn-out”.  – The Herald Scotland, 18 January 2021

How to Improve Age Diversity in Hiring in Your Organization

Building a diverse workforce is a multi-stakeholder effort that does not happen overnight. It’s a conscious choice an organization makes to increase its agility, competitiveness and innovation. Studies show that diverse teams increase profitability by as much as 22 percent, comparable with similar organizations with a less diverse workforce.

An age-inclusive recruiting strategy cannot be the responsibility of HR leaders alone. It takes several stakeholders within an organization to ensure a diverse recruiting process. Here are some things you can do to create a strong foundation.  – AARP 8 January 2021

Ageing of India’s workforce due to high job loss in below-40 group not good for strong recovery: CMIE

Higher job lossses among those below the age of 40 years has resulted in an ageing workforce, which is not favourable for a strong recovery of the Indian economy, according to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE).  – Economic Times of India, 15 January 2021

‘Best fit’ hire lands NHS trust with ageism pay-out (UK)

A 50-year-old man has been awarded £7,600 for age and sex discrimination from Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust after informal feedback from a young, mainly female team influenced a hiring decision.

Mr McClements applied for a project manager role at the trust and was one of five applicants invited to interview. As part of the process he was invited to give a presentation on how he would support the team’s objectives. Points were awarded for an “original, fun yet thoughtful and punchy” presentation and McClement’s talk involved using his daughter’s Minions backpack as a visual aid.  – Personnel Today, 14 January 2021

Age bias remains in recruitment says new report (UK)

A report by the Centre for Ageing Better says employers are failing to identify and tackle potential age bias in their recruitment process. Most employers interviewed do not see age bias as a ‘problem’ in their organisation despite the fact that some of those interviewed held negative views of older people, such as older workers ‘having poor IT skills’ or looking ‘worn-out.’ As a result, Ageing Better warns, older workers made redundant in the months ahead risk being shut out of employment.  – The Global Recruiter, 12 January 2021

Gender pay gap is widest for those aged over 50 (UK)

The gender pay gap between full-time male and female employees is widest for those aged over 50, according to analysis from digital community Rest Less.

The analysis Office of National Statistics (ONS) pay data, found that the gender pay gap increases with age: the annual salary of a female full-time employee in their 50s in 2020 was 23% less than their male equivalent. This increased to 25% for the over 60s.  – Employee Benefits, 4 January 2021

Do professional women over 50 have an expiration date? How gendered ageism sabotages women’s careers

“Men age on TV with a sense of gravitas, and we as women have an expiration date,” Roma Torre, 61, stated after her departure as anchor on NY1. Torre, along with four of her female colleagues, recently settled an age and gender discrimination law suit against the New York cable network, Charter Communications. In the suit, Torre and her co-plaintiffs, Amanda Farinacci, Vivian Lee, Jeanine Ramirez and Kristen Shaughnessy, claimed that their anchor airtime had been reduced and they were excluded from promotional campaigns due to their gender and age.  – Forbes, 4 January 2021