Upholding the rights of older workers

The Australian Human Rights Commission (the Commission)’s 2016 National Inquiry into Employment Discrimination against Older Australians and Australians with Disability found that too many people are shut out of work because of underlying assumptions, stereotypes or myths associated with their age. These beliefs can lead to discriminatory behaviours during recruitment, in the workplace and in decisions about training, promotion and retirement. The cost and impact of this is too high, for both individuals and our economy.

With support from the NSW Department of Communities and Justice, the Commission developed an Older Workers Resource Hub and Public Awareness Campaign to help promote the benefits of older workers and a multigenerational workforce.

The resource hub hosts a range of free resources for employers and employees to help raise awareness of the value of older workers and implement age-diverse business practices. It also offers free online training to help employers and employees better understand the benefits of employing and retaining older workers, and to provide practical ways of working with older employees to foster engagement and retention.