Page 12 - University Matters

University Matters | October 2017
Appreciating the value (and challenges)
of an ageing workforce
Australia’s ageing population, coupled
with other economic factors, means many Australians are remaining in the workforce longer than previous generations. These changing workplace demographics have, and will continue to have, a substantial impact
on employers, who have to adapt to the requirements and needs of their workforce.
According to a 2015 Commonwealth Government report, the number of workers over 65 will increase from 12.9% to 17.3% by 2023. Further, it has been predicted that Australian workers born between 1960 and 1980 will now (on average) continue working well into their 70s. Re ecting this trend, recent gures released by the Department of Education and Training show that more than half of workers in the higher education sector are aged over 45. This proportion of older workers is expected to increase, which means employers in the university sector must be aware of, and work to address, the speci c kinds of issues or challenges that result from an ageing workforce. These issues are often exacerbated by misconceptions about the value and capacity of older workers to perform their roles safely and ef ciently
in a modern workplace.
Recent studies, including “Willing to
Work: National Inquiry into Employment Discrimination Against Older Australians and Australians with Disability” conducted by the Australian Human Rights Commission, have highlighted a number of challenges confronting older workers in entering or maintaining their positions in the workforce including work health and safety (WHS) obstacles and discrimination.
WHS
Under WHS legislation, employers must
ensure the health and safety of all workers while they are at work, so far as is reasonably practicable. To do this effectively, it is important for employers to understand the needs of their
By Ian Bennett and Josephine Lennon
speci c workforce and the associated risks. All individuals age differently and, in turn, it can be dif cult to adopt a “one size ts all” approach to managing an ageing workforce. Employers should, however, take a proactive approach to managing WHS within their enterprise by identifying and assessing
the risks that may arise based on their particular circumstances.
Recent guidance materials published by WHS regulators have highlighted that the most common workplace injuries for older workers relate to muscular stress (sprains and strains), bone fractures, spinal disorders and slips or falls. In many instances, these risks can be mitigated or eliminated by:
• assessing the potential risk of such injuries occurring within the particular work environment
• implementing reasonably practicable control measures to manage these risks, and
• fostering a culture that encourages individuals to talk about concerns they may have about their wellbeing or their capacity to perform their work safely.
It’s important to understand a person’s age does not of itself give rise to a risk to health and safety. There is no prescribed age where a worker becomes incapable of working safely, nor is there a legal requirement for a worker to retire at a certain age.
Any queries that are raised about a worker’s ability to continue employment must arise from the worker’s capacity to perform their role’s inherent requirements and not simply their age. If, for whatever reason, a worker is unable to perform the inherent requirements of their role, an employer must still assess whether it can implement any reasonable adjustments that would allow the employee to perform these inherent requirements before contemplating any signi cant changes to their employment status.
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