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The Business Case

The Business Case

The videos, white paper and infographics on this page build the business case for the Ageing Workforce Ready project. They also build the case for all organisations who want to do more to support their older workers.

Meet Dave and Carlos – they explain why investing in older workers in the smart thing and the right thing to do.

Some organisations haven’t yet realised how an ageing population impacts their industry. Even those that want to do more to support their older workers often don’t know where to start. Read on for facts, stats, ideas and frameworks that help you persuade and plan.

This video is a great introduction to the opportunities and risks an ageing population creates for employers. If you want to build a business case for ‘ageing workforce ready’ initiatives in your business, then this video along with the white paper “The Age Difference” are good places to start.

This video explains why discrimination based on age is no longer acceptable.

This video describes work-related factors and how to support older workers by addressing the root causes of workplace stress. By tackling the problems that create workplace issues we can better protect and promote employee mental health and wellbeing across the lifespan.

AWR Benefits to Organisations

Despite the identified risks, Australian employers have been slow to engage with the realities of an ageing workforce. Older workers are exposed to workplace psychosocial stressors, that can affect their mental health and wellbeing, during both late career navigation and in the transition to retirement. On the other hand, there are opportunities to be harnessed; an ageing workforce has the potential to positively impact organisations’ capacity, reputation and performance.

RisksOpportunities

  • Loss of experience and knowledge

  • Skills shortages in labour markets

  • Premature exit from the organisation

  • Person-job fit mismatch

  • High absenteeism and/or presenteeism

  • Age discrimination and bias

  • Safety, mental health and compensation claims

  • Health and caring issues


  • Positive organisational culture

  • Social maturity, perspective and interpersonal skills

  • Institutional knowledge

  • Improved company reputation

  • Stability and reduced turnover

  • Connection with ageing customers

  • Improved organisational diversity

AWR Benefits to Employees

When an organisation engages with the realities of an ageing workforce, enhances age diversity, and addresses stressors experienced by older workers, the benefits for individual employees are tangible. These benefits include:

Positive organisational culture

The project activities introduce and reinforce practices that protect and promote a better working environment for older workers.

Improved health and wellbeing

A positive organisational culture is known to improve employee health and wellbeing. In addition, specific organisational practices can address the needs of older workers.

Tackling age discrimination

Implementing initiatives to directly decrease age discrimination will have a positive impact on older individuals in the workforce, and those seeking to re-enter the workforce.

Better transition-to-retirement options

Creating an environment in which people can proactively decide how they would like to work as they age allows individuals to experience a better transition to retirement.

Freedom to keep working

With workplace and societal improvements for older people, along with the economic need for a strong labour force, people can choose to unretire or keep working productively indefinitely.