Mature workers news roundup – August 2019

‘Early’ career chats key to managing older workers

The key to managing an ageing workforce is to have career conversations as early as when employees are in their 40s, said Singapore’s manpower minister Josephine Teo.  – Human Resources Director Asia Magazine, 30 August 2019

Helping workers plan for the future will help employers retain skilled staff, boost employee wellbeing

Employers should do more for workers in their 40s and 50s to help them plan for the future, according to a report published today by the Centre for Ageing Better. The report highlights the importance of providing support to employees in mid-life as a way of helping them stay in work for longer if they want to, plan for what they will need in retirement, and think ahead about their future needs.  – HR News (UK), 30 August 2019

OECD: Countries must do more to keep older people in workforce

In the face of rapid population ageing, governments must promote more and better job opportunities at an older age to protect living standards and the sustainability of public finances, according to a new report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).  – Emerging Europe, 30 August 2019

Start preparing workers earlier for ageing, says charity (UK)

Report advocates more support for staff in their 40s and 50s, with experts describing it as a ‘win, win’ for employers and employees.  – People Management, 29 August 2019

Why Aren’t More Women Working? They’re Caring for Parents

The burden of care for aging relatives is reshaping the lives of millions of others. About 15 percent of women and 13 percent of men 25 to 54 years old spend time caring for an older relative, according to the Labor Department. Among those 55 to 64, the share rises to one in five Americans. And 20 percent of these caregivers also have children at home.  – New York Times, 29 August 2019

Compelling ways to reward the over 65s in your workforce

The modern workforce is more age-diverse than it has ever been. And, as it becomes more common for generation Z, millennials, generation X and baby boomers to share the same workspace, it can be difficult to create a rewards structure that caters to employees of every generation. Particularly those employees who are at the higher end of the age spectrum – the over 65s.  – Reward & Employee Benefits Association (REBA) (UK), 28 August 2019

Reset Retirement Ep 4: How Long Can We Work? (podcast)

One of the warning signs of the oncoming retirement crisis is that people are often told they can make up for a lack of retirement savings by working longer.

Even if people have the health and strength to keep working past traditional retirement ages, there’s no guarantee they will be able to find a job. Instead, our retirement system abandons older people in an unfriendly labor market at the moment they are most vulnerable to age discrimination. In the fourth episode of Reset Retirement, we take a deeper dive into how the common advice to work longer plays out in real life.  – The New School, School of Economics, 6 August 2019

Study: Aging Higher Ed Workforce Brings Challenges

As the U.S. population gets older, a significant part of the workforce also is aging, a trend that is even more pronounced in higher education and that must be addressed proactively to promote institutional viability.  – Diverse: Issues In Higher Education, 28 August 2019

Tech Savant And Director Tackles Hiring Discrimination With Reality Show

Recruiters and hiring managers often discount talent, according to Michael Kureth, award-winning technology and entertainment professional with decades of experience in software engineering, film production and technical architecture. To make his point clear, Kureth created Whiteboard Challenge, a docustyle reality show focused on the world of HR recruiting in the high-tech industry.  – Forbes, 28 August 2019

New report lays down challenges for policymakers on increasingly ageing population

Global academic thought leaders urge UK policymakers to act on the “daunting but not insurmountable” challenge of ageing. New report from Scott and Bloom for ILC argues that UK policymakers must go further to help the UK prepare for ageing. Report argues for greater policy focus on extended working lives and prevention of ill health.  – EU Today, 27 August 2019

Age discrimination commissioner visits Tasmania

Australia’s Age Discrimination Commissioner will tour the state this week to launch a new campaign.  – The Examiner, 27 August 2019

Workplaces must protect women going through menopause, say MPs

Action urged as research shows the impact of symptoms on large proportion of workforce. British MPs are pushing for clear workplace policies to protect women going through the menopause, which exacts a hefty personal and professional toll on as many as one in four females.  – The Guardian (UK), 26 August 2019

Malaysia gaining from having more working people than dependents

Malaysia is gaining from having a high population of working people and lower number of dependents, said Social Wellbeing Research Centre director Prof Datuk Dr Norma Mansor.  – The Sun Daily, 26 August 2019

Commentary: Watch for casual ageism and other signs of caustic attitudes about older workers

At the heart of concerns over raising the retirement age and CPF contribution rates is an insidious belief that older workers are worth less.  – Channel News Asia, 24 August 2019

The old country: Get ready for an ageing Ireland

Ireland is ageing fast, and our economy, health service – and families themselves – need to adapt.  – The Irish Times, 24 August 2019

“Treat our ageing workforce as an opportunity and not a burden” Minister Teo

Manpower Minister Josephine Teo expounded on government’s announcements regarding the raising of retirement age and CPF contributions during the annual dinner of the Economic Society of Singapore on Thursday (Aug 22) held at the Mandarin Orchard hotel.  – The Independent (Singapore), 23 August 2019

An age-diverse workforce is key to productivity

Cooperation between younger and older employees in the workplace is becoming increasingly important for achieving a cohesive and productive workplace, says Adam Mamok, managing director of Essilor Poland, who spoke to NaTemat.pl about the benefits of a diverse and harmonious employee group.  – Emerging Europe, 23 August 2019

Dedicated online platforms for job seekers could help address skills shortage: recruiter

Implementing online platforms where job seekers can input their experience and allow tracking of former projects through specialised systems could be one of many measures taken to address Australia’s skills shortage, according to one recruitment firm.  – IT Wire, 26 August 2019

Is an Aging Population Hurting the U.S. Economy?

Some analysts think so. Here’s why they’re wrong.  – Next Avenue, 23 August 2019

Commentary: Singapore’s bold bet on seniors and valuable years of life experience

The signal is clear. Raising the retirement and re-employment age is long overdue and the task that lies ahead is for workers and companies to prepare, says retirement expert Patrick Chang.  – Channel News Asia, 23 August 2019

Artificial Intelligence in the Employment Relationship: Friend or Foe?

AI is often used in the workplace to assist employers with recruitment through the use of algorithms to make hiring decisions. Notably, although common sense would suggest that AI would help eliminate unconscious (or conscious) bias in the hiring process, it has quickly become apparent that the risk of bias persists. – National Law Review (US), 21 August 2019

What to do when you face ageism in the workplace

By my 40s, I hope to be very comfortably established in my career, ensconced in a warm blanket of experience that makes me more valuable than ever to my employer. But here’s a terrifying truth: age discrimination can start affecting you from 45, according to Diversity Council Australia.  – ABC, 21 August 2019

From driver to quality assessor in plant

Mr Tan Teng Kwang was working as a driver for wholesale distributor Hai Sia Seafood when he underwent eye surgery, which made it inadvisable for him to be in the sun. Upon learning of his health condition, his employer redeployed him to the company’s processing plant, where the 64-year-old has been based since December last year.  – The Straits Times (Singapore), 21 August 2019

Tory plan to increase pension age to 75 ‘chilling and immoral’

‘It is an outrageous betrayal of people who have worked hard for decades,’ says former minister. Proposals to increase the state pension age to 75 have been branded “chilling and immoral” by former pensions minister Ros Altmann.  – The Independent, 20 August 2019

Why US firms are desperate to retain ageing workers

When Roger Klug told his employer he was retiring, there was a shiver of panic among the bosses. Now 70 years old, Mr Klug is in his 47th year at Alexandria Industries, an aluminium company in rural Minnesota.  – BBC News, 20 August 2019

Increase state pension age to 75 to ‘improve health and wellbeing’

Raising the state pension age to 75 will improve the health and wellbeing of older people, a think tank has proposed. Campaigners and a previous pensions minister have criticised the idea. The right-leaning Centre for Social Justice said that people would remain fit to work for longer if occupational health support was improved, better healthcare support for those aged 55 and over was implemented and access to training and flexible working was enhanced.  – Personnel Today (UK) 19 August 2019

What Generation Gap? How Intergenerational Connections Help Everybody

Maybe you identify as a Baby Boomer. You might have kids in Gen X. That young person at the coffee shop is Gen Y. Don’t you sometimes think all of these generational labels just serve to keep people apart?  – Silvernest Podcast, 20 August 2019

The ‘Overqualified’ Trap Can Hit You at Any Time

Few obstacles are more perplexing for job seekers than being told you’re overqualified. The problem can crop up anytime, even early in applicants’ careers, and often when they least expect it. Trying to overcome hirers’ misgivings can feel like shadowboxing with a ghost. New research lends insight into some of the quirky and often counterintuitive reasons managers decide somebody is just too good for the job—reasons applicants can sometimes overcome with forethought and skillful communication.  – Wall Street Journal, 19 August 2019

Boom in Cosmetic Surgery Linked to Age Discrimination

It is not coincidental that injectable botulinum toxin treatments have increased by more than 800 percent since 2000. A new study suggests the boom in cosmetic surgery and procedures is fueled by age discrimination.  – Forbes (US), 19 August 2019

Jury awards former Times sports columnist $15.4 million

A Los Angeles jury on Monday awarded former Times sports columnist T.J. Simers $15.4 million in damages against the newspaper for discrimination against him because of his age and disability.  – Los Angeles Times, 19 August 2019

Ageing Confidently – Supporting an ageing workforce

This report proposes several recommendations to provide older people and employers with the support needed to unlock the potential of this demographic and enable older people to access the benefits of work.  – Centre for Social Justice (UK), 18 August 2019

NDR 2019: New retirement, re-employment ages of 65 and 70 by 2030; higher CPF contributions for older workers

Singapore will raise the retirement age and re-employment age to 65 and 70 respectively by 2030, alongside increases in the Central Provident Fund (CPF) contribution rates for older workers.  – Channel News Asia, 18 August 2019

Newstart nowhere near close to being a preference

In a recent episode of ABC’s Q&A program, the limelight was stolen not by one of the esteemed panellists but by the astute comments and powerful questions posed by Ricci Bartels, a 67-year old member of the audience. She spoke frankly of the ignominy of finding herself reliant on Newstart at age 62 after spending 46 years as a taxpayer in the workforce.  – Sydney Morning Herald, 18 August 2019

Raising pension age to 75 would create £182bn boost for British economy, report claims

Britain’s ageing population and increases in life expectancy have meant taxpayers face escalating  cost unless people stay in work for longer, according to a paper by the Centre for Social Justice.  – The Telegraph (UK), 17 August 2019

The village with dolls but no children – and Japan’s existential crisis

​​​​​​​Its population ageing and declining, Japan must let go of some of its deep-set traditional values – if it wants to avoid an economic crisis. Insight investigates.  – Channel News Asia, 17 August 2019

Appeals Court Okays Dismissal Of Older Worker Said To Lack “Potential” For Promotion

So, the tool pusher on the oil drilling platform, 59, was laid off despite receiving a far higher rating, 71 percent, than his 49-year-old replacement who scored 59 percent. Sound like age discrimination?   – Forbes (US), 16 August 2019

Nation needs skills to bust traffic jams

Australia needs a lot more skilled workers to build the infrastructure for a growing population. … Take the railway workforce, for example. Demand for skills across all areas, from drivers to signalling technicians, is expected to rise by more than five per cent over the next five years. But at the same time, 20 per cent of rail workers are expected to retire.  – 7 News, 15 August 2019

Growing in confidence: Meeting the targets of Apprenticeship Levy

Apprentices were recruited to various council departments when a position was identified that would be suitable for an apprenticeship role and lead to succession planning for the council and its ageing workforce profile.  – Public Service Executive (UK), 15 August 2019

The nightmare that’s been waiting to hit Australian women

Australian women have just been hit with another crisis. … These women over 45 are finding themselves in the workforce for much longer than their mothers – yet the workforce has done absolutely nothing to accommodate them.  – Sydney Morning Herald, 13 August 2019

20% of U.S. Workers Over 40 Claim They Have Experienced Age Bias, Insurer Says

Age discrimination affects more than one-fifth of U.S. workers over the age of 40, a particular number of which are men, according to a survey from specialty insurer, which warns companies to be mindful of the related workplace liabilities.  – Insurance Journal, 13 August 2019

Forget retirement: Senior citizens are founding small businesses, and research shows more of them are likely to succeed than young entrepreneurs

For some seniors, retirement is an opportunity to learn how to use computers and start their own small business … Senior citizens are becoming an important part of the labour force – according to the US Department of Labour, Americans over 55 will be the largest group of workers by 2024.  – Business Insider Australia, 13 August 2019

Employers must plan for people living and working longer

A recent survey suggests that the mindset amongst the Irish workforce is changing when it comes to career longevity and anticipated retirement ages.  – Irish Examiner, 12 August 2019

Silicon Valley’s Age Problem Illustrates Its Blind Spots

Silicon Valley has an age problem. It’s actually become a medium-sized problem lately, with Google recently paying out $11 million to some 200 job seekers who were over 40 at the time they applied to work at the tech giant and later alleged age discrimination when they weren’t hired.  – Toolbox HR, 12 August 2019

More over-65s swapping retirement for work, but many struggling to find jobs

A new report has found while more Aussies are remaining in the workforce past retirement age – more are also battling unemployment.  – Starts at 60, 11 August 2019

Over-55s shouldn’t wait for retirement to make time for their health

People in middle-age need to keep up their physical activity levels if they are to enjoy a fit and healthy retirement — according to a new report. The study reveals that over-55s in particular should be doing more to keep fit as they approach retirement age — because of the physical, mental and social benefits of being active. But health problems, not having enough time or energy because of work, and a lack of motivation are leaving many approaching retirement in poor shape.  – Science Daily, 12 August 2019

Employers need to look to older workers, not past them

With record numbers of people of pension age trying to return to work, the argument for populism ahead of pragmatism may become moot. But the problem of employers’ attitudes to people over 50 in search of jobs remains, with surveys suggesting that as many as a third of those in this demographic might experience age-based discrimination.  – The Age, 12 August 2019

Group begins workforce transformation

Work has commenced to progress the strategic actions of the aged care workforce strategy and disrupt the status quo, the workforce industry council has announced.  – Australian Ageing Agenda, 9 August 2019

Over-50s contributed most to post-downturn growth

According to figures published by the ONS, workers aged over 50 made the biggest contribution to post-2008 growth. In 2008, over-50s accounted for 25 per cent of all hours worked with this figure rising to 30 per cent by 2018.  – The Parliamentary Review (UK), 8 August 2019

The silver lining of ageing populations in emerging markets

The year 2018 marked an epochal demographic turning point: Earth became home to more people aged 65 years and over than children under five, for the first time ever.  – The Financial Times, 8 August 2019

A new study measured how men and women experience ageism at work

It’s commonly believed that women are far more likely than men to be victims of ageism in the workplace, but new numbers suggest otherwise.  – Quartz at Work, 8 August 2019

Raising awareness of age discrimination

Perceptions regarding opportunities in old age are culturally embedded, says Americanist and cultural scientist Ulla Kriebernegg. She criticizes the predominantly negative images of old age and calls for new narratives that make it possible for society as a whole to age well.  – Innovation Origins, 8 August 2019

Why A Ruling On Poland’s Judges Matters Across The EU

A recent decision that Poland’s lowering of the retirement age for its sitting high court judges violated European Union law and judicial independence marked a significant moment not only for Poland but also the rule of law, setting a clear boundary for the bloc’s other 27 member states, experts said.  – Law 360, 4 August 2019

Volunteering sector under pressure

As people’s work and family lives grow busier, putting ever increasing pressure on free time, volunteering is in crisis across New Zealand.

A “time-poor” population, ageing volunteer “workforce”, funding issues for organisations, and a need for recognition of the importance of volunteers are all pressure points for the voluntary sector.   – Otago Daily Times, 4 August 2019

Challenges lurk as elderly labor rules mulled: experts

Taiwan will have to overcome numerous challenges to reverse the low labor participation rate of middle-aged and elderly people, despite a draft act the Cabinet approved last month, experts said.  – Taipei Times, 3 August 2019

5 Ways to Respond to Ageism in a Job Interview

As the global population ages, we will see increasing numbers of older employees in the workforce. Yet age discrimination is prevalent today. According to a recent AARP study, nearly two out of three workers age 45 and older say they have experienced age discrimination.  – Harvard Business Review, 2 August 2019

How golden oldies are boosting the workforce

Older workers are the fastest growing section of the workforce but the most likely to be axed from part-time, or fixed-term contracts, according to analysis of the nation’s over-65 workforce.  – Australian Financial Review, 2 August 2019

IBM reportedly axed as many as 100,000 employees in recent years because it wanted to appear as ‘cool’ and ‘trendy’ as Amazon or Google

Hoping to come across to millennials as “cool” and “trendy” like Amazon or Google, IBM may have axed as many as 100,000 employees in the last few years. The charge came up in the deposition of a former IBM vice president in an ongoing age discrimination suit, according to a Bloomberg report.  – Business Insider Australia, 1 August 2019