Age discrimination in the workplace: The more things change...

Abstract

Negative public attitudes and discrimination can limit older people's social and economic contributions and impact on their health and well‐being 1. The Government's Intergenerational Reports and increases in the eligibility age for the age pension set key policy directions around population ageing encouraging mature age workers to remain in the paid workforce 2, 3. As part of this strategy, the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has conducted widely publicised campaigns to improve attitudes to ageing and combat ageism and appointed an Age Discrimination Commissioner to focus on addressing age discrimination nationally, particularly within employment. Notwithstanding past and current attempts to address it, the evidence indicates that age discrimination continues.