This discussion paper, prepared for National Seniors Australia, examines the critical factors affecting mature age Australians' ability to access paid employment and to remain in employment. Barriers to mature age employment discussed include: aged-based discrimination, barriers arising from the ageing process, skills and training barriers, and policy barriers.
The paper discusses six policy focus areas which aim to increase the participation of older workers in the labour force:
Overcoming age discrimination
Incentives to encourage the skill development of mature age workers
Promoting healthy workplaces and the health of mature age workers
Promoting Age Management in the workplace to manage health and ageing-related issues to maximise participation, and promoting flexible working arrangements to support workforce participation, healthy ageing and work-life-balance
Applying Age Management to retirement transition
Mature-age-sensitive income provision to support rather than discourage continued participation in the labour market
