Last resort employees: older workers' perceptions of workplace discrimination

Stephen Billett, Darryl Dymock, Greer Johnson, Greg Martin
2011 Human Resource Development International  
Like other countries, Australia is becoming increasingly reliant upon an aging workforce. Yet, much literature positions older workers as 'last resort' employees: held in low esteem by employers whose preference for youth over age extends into decision-making about workplace engagement and support. As part of a broader study on maintaining the competence of older workers, we investigated the extent to which such employees (aged 45 or more) perceived they were discriminated against because of
more » ... ir age, including in regard to access to training and promotion opportunities, and to job security. Against expectations arising from the literature, informants reported little in the way of explicit age-related bias in their employment, opportunities for advancement and further development. Although the sample has particular characteristics and featured paraprofessional and professional workers, the contrast is noteworthy between what is reported in the literature and often premised on surveys, and our data was based on interviews. The findings indicate the need to be wary of making easy generalisations about the extent to which older workers are discriminated against in the workplace, particularly in certain types of industries and occupations, while at the same time acknowledging that such discrimination does exist. In addition, we found a range of nuanced responses that suggest there are tensions between discriminations policies and practice that are a challenge for human resource development professionals.
doi:10.1080/13678868.2011.601571 fatcat:av6fjpua3nej7ooqkuuetqh7ie