Employers offered $1,000 bonus for hiring older workers
Would you hire a mature age employee to work in your business? What if there was a $1,000 bonus on the line? In just a few months, employers will be offered just that.
The Federal Government has responded to a growing trend of discrimination against mature age job seekers with a new scheme aimed at rewarding businesses that employ older workers.
Under the Jobs Bonus scheme, which will begin in July, employers will be paid $1,000 if they take on a worker aged 50 or older for at least three months.
Employment Office Managing Director Tudor Marsden Huggins says that in the wake of the global financial crisis, it’s no wonder more baby boomers joining the ranks of job seekers.
“One of the major casualties of the GFC was superannuation funds. Fuelled by unstable share markets, the super balances of many soon-to-be retirees were slashed by tens of thousands of dollars, making a return to work the only option for baby boomers wishing to self-fund their twilight years,” he said.
But an increasing number of mature age job seekers have found it near impossible to land a job. Baby boomers are finding that, although experienced and often skilled, they are losing out when competing with younger candidates for a role, often experiencing widespread age discrimination.
According to a recent study conducted by the Diversity Council of Australia, age discrimination is the most common form of workplace discrimination, eclipsing gender and race discrimination.
Marsden-Huggins says considering Australia’s deepening skills shortage, now is a good time employers to break down any barriers to workforce participation, and utilise the skills of mature age workers.
“More than ever it is important for candidates to be assessed on their skills and experience, rather than age. There are a lot of inaccurate stereotypes, and there seems to be a sentiment among some employers that mature-age employees can be inflexible, hard to train or lacking in computer skills.
“In reality, baby boomers often represent an experienced, hard-working and productive talent pool, with low absenteeism, strong loyalty and a good work ethic,” he said.
Older workers can be assets to companies in more ways than one, with many employers finding they often excel in mentoring and coaching roles. Mature age workers are also highly valuable for employers operating in cross-generational markets.
“To ensure they are not discriminating against mature age workers, organisations need to evaluate their recruitment methods, as well as their retention strategies and development processes. Offering flexible working arrangements, opportunities for training and education and fostering a culture that is inclusive and supportive of older workers is also important.
“More than anything, it’s about changing the way we think about older people, and the contribution they can make in the workplace,” Marsden-Huggins said.
