A recent article in the New Daily again raised the issue of older workers being sacked because of their age. This is just another example of an issue that is both unfair and short sighted on the part of industry. The other side of this story is the difficulty that many over 50s have in finding a job if they are retrenched.
While it’s illegal to discriminate against older workers, there’s still a reluctance in many organisations to hire people in their 50s and 60s. Of course these companies are cutting themselves off from a great talent pool, but that doesn’t help a 60 year old looking for a decent job.
As the age that people can access the pension moves up towards 70, it’s imperative that both government and industry get real and put in place practical policies that make it a lot easier for older workers to get decent, challenging jobs, if they want to stay in the work force.