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Posts Tagged age discrimination

Susan Ryan, Age Discrimination Commissioner: Redrawing the picture

Posted by Alison in Commentary on October 19th, 2011

There is a buzz around the SageCo office as we eagerly anticipate the November launch of ENVISAGE – our new facilitated and online solution. ENVISAGE is an evolution of our popular Create program and takes a (very!) colourful and artistic view of retirement and planning in late career.

So with this in mind, Susan Ryan’s latest opinion piece strikes a chord as she speaks of ‘redrawing’ the mature age picture.

Recently appointed as Australia’s first dedicated Age Commissioner, Susan is already making her mark, recently putting forward a suite of proposals at the federal Government’s Tax Forum held in September.  The objective? To remove negative tax impacts on older Australians.

Getting rid of age barriers in super, workers compensation and income insurance would produce more productivity. If, in the near future, we can provide successful examples, put in place by forward-looking employers, we would have inspirational models for the broader workforce.

Age caps currently leave workers over 65 uncovered for workers’ compensation and income maintenance insurance. Not conducive to the current trend of working longer and deferring retirement.

The changes put forward by The Commissioner will support employers keen to benefit from the skills, experience, knowledge and loyalty of the mature workforce.

(Published in The Equality Law Reform Project, 10 October 2011)

 

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hitting the ground running

Posted by Alison in Media on August 2nd, 2011

On Monday, the Gillard Government announced the appointment of the Hon Susan Ryan AO as Australia’s inaugural Age Discrimination Commissioner.

In her new position of Age Discrimination Commissioner, Ms Ryan will be a dedicated advocate not only for older Australians, but also young people who might be affected by age discrimination

said Attorney-General Robert McClelland upon announcing the appointment.

Ryan is the independent chair of the IAG & NRMA Superannuation Plan, as well as honourary chair of the Australian Human Rights Group and ambassador to WomenAid Australia.

Ryan says her track record in the area of gender discrimination gives her confidence things will change, in legislation, culture and the workplace. On a personal note Ryan adds;

I’m 68 and want to hit the ground running!

Ryan takes the baton from Elizabeth Broderick, who has been at the forefront of keeping age discrimination issues firmly on the agenda.

Read more…

 

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age equality front and centre

Posted by Alison in Commentary, Media on June 24th, 2011

Elizabeth Broderick spoke this week at The Sydney Institute on the pervasive issue of age discrimination and confirmed that from July 2011 there will be an inaugural, dedicated Age Discrimination Commissioner in Australia.

Elizabeth shared stories gathered throughout her term with AHRC from mature workers not given a ‘fair go’; reviewed the positive changes and reforms that have taken place in recent years; and talked about the development of a Convention on the Rights of Older People.

A binding convention will recognise the fundamental human rights and freedoms of older people globally. A convention will open up a space for the voices of older people to be heard – for older people themselves to be the architects of their own destinies.

Elizabeth reflected on a personal story of her father, when hearing ‘exclusive language’ being used, asks “Where’s the evidence?”.

A question that organisations and recruitment agencies across Australia should be asking when it comes to the recruitment and career opportunities of mature workers.

One thing is for sure, Elizabeth Broderick has paved the way for a ‘community where when we speak about human rights, age equality is front and centre’.

Full speech

 

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double trouble

Posted by Alison in Commentary on May 12th, 2010

The number of age discrimination complaints in the first quarter of this year has doubled, according to Elizabeth Broderick, Commissioner responsible for Age Discrimination. “I think that’s because the issue has had more airing in the last six months through the Intergenerational Report that Treasury launched, which talked about the eligibility for the pension going up to the age of 67” she says.

This continues a rising trend with a 20% increase in age discrimination complaints seen between 2008 and 2009.

“The Government is sending strong signals that we need to work longer but the question is can we when there’s a culture that says you’re not valuable when you’re over a certain age.”   More…

Let’s hope Risk Managers have this topic firmly on their agenda. Organisations who are the subject of a complaint suffer not only significant costs but damage to their coveted employment brand.

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