Perhaps we should check out the Devil in the Details.
Employment areas suitable for over 55's:
Building industry, labourer, gardening and landscaping...
(arthritis, knee and hip replacement, RSI, impaired eyesight and hearing...)
Hospitality and Service industries
(Dominated by juniors on reduced wages, -in the lower incomes, 18 can be too old)
IT (in direct competition with 1st turn Uni graduates -who are also suffering high unemployment rates)
The key to getting people to work longer is getting them into jobs they enjoy -before they turn 50.
If you find something you enjoy doing, you'll never 'work' another day in your life.

With apologies to Margaret Thatcher, just who are these “age pension (ers) (who) would prefer to be in paid work.”? I don’t know any. Work is a necessity to most of us (not many people “ loooooove” what they have to do) and, with few exceptions there is not much a person of pension age can do in the work force. Quick thinking, physically active age pensioners are as scarce as those ‘longer living’ types, especially the baby-boomers, who are living shorter times than their tougher parents did.

There are certainly older people too young for the age pension needing employment who are discriminated against by employers and the me generation, but saying that many aged pensioners would prefer to be back at work is simply not truthful. It’s a myth, or worse: Ms. Ryan is an ex-politician, remember.


And, the economic benefit of people 5% more of over 55’s working has nothing to do with the Age Pension. Those over 55’s who are not working would be on Newstart, which is, in fact, the dole; and, from the Commissioner herself, we know that there are only 140,000 of them – not a huge burden on the taxpayer when compared with the money wasted by politicians according to their own whims and rubbish ideas.

And, to top it all off, the government has already said it is not going to touch the Age Pension, and there are enough people young people who could work if they were made to, as well as all those iffy disabled pensioners.

No. Ms. Ryan has jumped on the bandwagon to justify her own comfortable little empire. Perhaps Tony Abbott could turn her loose from the public trough in his money-saving efforts.

So true Grim. I was headhunted at 53 to run a manufacturing business, because the main shareholder had seen me in action running another company. Doubt I'd have got an interview in the normal way.

This was very lucky for me, I was at the very end of my physical capacity to run a grazing property. Much of the work was getting too heavy for an older bloke to handle single handed.

I have 2 friends well into their 50s, who have had to close their engineering business, as the physical side became too tough, & another who is having financial difficulties due to being unable to undertake some work on which he previously depended.

But then we get the other side of the coin. To whom should we offer the opportunity, when the available work is limited. In other words, who should we throw on the scrap heap. Where physical effort is involved, you do need to be the boss by about age 50.

Unemployment is very likely to become permanent for a youngster, who spends too much time on a benefit, not gaining a skill & a work ethic. It is all too likely to become a major factor for life.

We current oldies, on the other hand, have been blessed with comparatively good times for most of our lives. There is not much excuse, apart from a few who suffered special misfortune, for us to be on struggle street now.

We were in the position, last centaury, to buy housing for a fraction of todays prices, & a much smaller percentage of our earnings. Employment & training were easy to come by, & many are now reasonably well established. Surely better to pay a reasonable pension for an early retirement, than leave some youngster on the dole queue.

Personally I'd happily go back to work, but I'd not be much use, except sitting on my butt. Hay come to think of it, I'm perfect public servant material, in my clapped out old age.

Oh, to be a Governor General, a Governor, a Parliiamentarian to receive my indexed pension for the rest of my life, I do not have to work, just sit back and enjoy, the plebs will keep me in the lifestyle I have become used to, who cares about them any way,lets keep the plebs on the poverty line, reduce their pension, its time for a complete overhaul of the sickening payouts to the people mentioned, but of course that won't happen.

Hasbeen
Ah the old “lump of labour” fallacy. The number of jobs is not in fixed, if more people are willing and able to work, there will be more income and more demand and more jobs. Older workers don’t necessarily displace the young. Also, the kinds of work that a 70 year old is likely to do are different to the kind of work an 18 year old will do.

I agree than many industries and occupations are not suitable for older workers; but some are. Not all older people want to work; but some do. Surely the thing is to avoid a one-size-fits-all approach which either forces people to work if they can’t, or stops them from working when they want to

Indeed, older people want to contribute to society, but it doesn't mean that they want to obey the orders of a boss or to compromise on the ethics of what they do because they worry about paying their bills. They are capable and motivated to contribute on their own terms, knowing that the income side will never be a hindrance.

I have seen a 60 year old lady made to litter the mailboxes of her neighbours with supermarket junk-pamphlets. She knew it was unethical, but had no choice because her stack of unpaid bills was growing. Paying her to stay at home would be a relief to everyone in her suburb, and being at home she could and, knowing her, would, make wonderful informal contributions to everyone around her.

Rhian,
I'd be quite happy to keep on working but I can't do my present work much longer as it is too physical & too much travel. Offer me an office job in a small country town & I'll take it. If you think you're physically better than me than why don't you apply for a physically demanding position where you to can wear out your back, knees etc.

'Ah the old “lump of labour” fallacy.'
Interestingly, virtually the same result can be achieved by simply increasing the Pension/newstart allowance (more money to lower earners = more money spent rather than hoarded).
I do agree that no one should be forced to stop work -apart from H&S concerns; employing 80 year old security guards probably isn't clever.
Hasbeen, good points. In fact, I reckon the entry age for the bureaucracy should be 55.
anyone younger than that who is still hale and hearty should bloody well get out and get a real job.

Some years ago, my wife and I relocated to Queensland following our grandchildren (and their parents). Full time permanent work was impossible to find without relocating so far away from the grandchildren as to make the move pointless. I discovered that employers will not hire someone older than them who may have more experience and tell them how to do things: young employees are OK as they can be 'moulded' to suit the employer. Older employees, on the other hand I sensed, as seen as being more resistant to moulding.
After a few desperate years surviving, and only just, as a casual employee in my industry, I had a major health crisis as a result of which I lost most of my sense of balance. I am unable to stand for extended periods without developing excruciating headaches. I satisfied requirements for the award of a disability support pension shortly after turning 60. Suddenly, financial stability again without drawing down scarce reserves!
I now work casually but to a limited extent: two days in a row and I decline work for the third.
To me the Disability Support Pension was, literally, a life-saver as I had become so depressed that if there had been a way to remove myself from society without stuffing up someone else’s life, I would have taken it.
The devils in this story are the governments and other employers who will NOT recognise experience, specifically experience outside Queensland, and who feel threatened by someone who is older than them, is more qualified than them, or who has more experience than them.
To me, the DSP was a lifeline: without it I would not have made to the age pension. I will fight to the last breath in my body to maintain access to the DSP for older workers who are unable to maintain employment and who have a major health crisis as a result.

Wouldnt it be reassuring if those implementing policies, had the knowledge and experience of those who posted before me. Not 'learned it in a book'
Kevin Andrews, encouraged by young Cassie McGannon proposed the review of aged pension. Through their investigations, they clearly discovered wealthy abusing the system. Deal with accordingly. McGannons suggestion that 'some possessed valuable assets.'Assets gained through a life time of 'genuine' hard work . Bricks cant be eaten or pay bills. Be human.
And the larger majority found to be genuine recipients.
Today it is announced that the Aged Pensioners are safe from review. What a turn around. Were your findings of fraudulence, fraudulent? Did the wealthy Aged suddenly get unwealthy, is it too much of a bother? Or were the investigations actually guestimations?

...The beauty of old age is that it comes with a multi-skilled background, (or at the least it should, for those that worked for the full extent of their working life)!
This is the advantage which needs to be exploited. To do this effectively, requires innovation and some current IT knowledge. The modern-day imperative is a sales ability. People will generally not buy you or your product unless it is wrapped and well presented; that includes selling your ability to do the job applied for!

...To use myself as an example,I have an extensive background in building which (in old age), I have picked a component of it to exploit; fencing. A new fence is applied for, and sold, in that order! Never have I succeeded in a new contract without the laptop and a presentation of fencing facts, which includes styles, types and materials: A demonstrated comparison of prices, and finally(also to be sold), why I am the best person for the job.

...The chances of employment for aged workers BY others, is of course limited, and in my experience has always been that way: That fact seems not to be recognised by the above posters; us old folk are in the New-Age of the “contract workforce”; even the young struggle with this fact!

...Another fact overlooked, is availability of work in the rural areas of Australia. If you want a job in the bush, you had better be good! That is another cemented-in fact which is often learned the hard way by folk emigrating from the city. Life in the bush is hard, poorly rewarded and work is scarce; an historical fact which is as true for today as it ever was.

I have lobbied government for many years through the web site BONZA and letters to PM's for a separate MATURELINK office that handles all things for over 50's but to no avail.

Such an office would be run by Boomers and focus on educating all players- job seekers, government, employers and community about the importance of over 50s not planning for retirement but for social and economic participation by reinventing themselves.

If we market ourselves as a group I really think we can turn around the 'too old mentality' that is plaguing all those players including my fellow Boomers in many cases.

Would love and welcome your support Susan but you know that because I approached you as well with no assistance offered.

Indeed they are not. I'd like to sidetrack for a moment and discuss age and disability pensions.

I've been into this elsewhere (I am a DSP recipient myself) and I checked out taxation and so forth (during an argument over 'consolidated revenue) - and ascertained that taxes rose since 1948 to cover expanded welfare.

What that means, in essence is that pensions, once properly allocated to the recipient, are an already paid-for right - not some malleable things that any government can come along and change or remove at their pleasure.

They are, in essence, household bills that should be paid out of the household account 'consolidated revenue' BEFORE the government embarks on spending for luxury items - just like any household.

Pensions are NOT a political football - they are rights earned.

Now - I'm currently seeking a grant to start up a business as a DSP - I don't need much - but I'll bet it is a lot less than Tony's 'commission of audit' members will get as a handout for their 'work' - IF I get it.

Oh - I'm also 64, and am pretty spry for my age, and have no intention of retiring for at least five years yet - that does not mean that I should be FORCED to retire at 70 - just that this is my personal position. I say keep the retirement age at 65, axe all politician's payouts before retirement age, and just let people decide for themselves.

"If we work hard to change these attitudes, we will reap economic dividends."

The implication is that it's actually very profitable to employ old people, it's just that employers are too stupid to understand this, or they would rather forego profits just to indulge their irrational prejudice.

That's one possibility. The other is that Susan Ryan is wrong.

Of course, if she was right, she wouldn't be working as an age discrimination commissioner, would she? She would have quit her job and started up a business employing all those old people that, according to her facile rhetoric, are undervalued in the market, thus doing well at the same time as doing good.

The reason she's not doing this is because she's wrong and she knows it.

People naturally and justifiably recognise that people have different abilities characteristic with age. There is no reason why employers should not discriminate against people on the ground of age.

The position of age discrimination commissioner should be abolished.

...Jardine K. Jardine is correct, except in rare circumstances, older workers become liabilities to the commercial imperatives of business. If the older worker feels undervalued in the working environment, then that older worker has a need to prove their worth to prospective employers, and present those positives of worthiness when applying for a job.

...If, as it seems here to be alleged, there has become a necessity for a commissioner of age discrimination to intercede in the workforce to right perceived wrongs of discrimination against the age in employing them in that workforce, then it appears to me the problem for the aged is not one of discrimination, but more a problem of realisation!

...One of the realisations of life in the workforce is, at age (about) sixty five, it is time to retire from the workforce. This reality is backed up by the Government which agrees to pay the aged worker a pension to do just that; retire and remove themselves from the workforce. A pension is an incentive to move-over and allow a younger person to continue producing for society; a younger member of society more capable, fit and agile!

...Here are some tips from myself for the retiree who feels cheated and less valued: If you wish to work after retirement, don’t make that sea-change to the country and expect to be swooped up in the local workforce…It won’t happen! Unless you import a skill to the local area which you can exploit for your own profit, don’t expect others to support your unrealistic expectations of working after retirement!

Lets all us oldies keep working with our macular degeneration, arthritis, skin that has lost it's elacticity and droops,heart problems, diabetes, we are all ready to join the cement truck or don high heals and make up so thick to hide the wrinkles on that gorgeous eighteen years old face which your brain is telling you that is the age you are, c'mon folks the downhill started long before sixty five years and your work ethics have decreased likewise, a sleep in the afternoon is more to the liking, of course we are a drain on the young taxpayer, but voluntary euthanasia isn't our choice unfortunately at present.

I worked in an Aged Care facility for fourteen years, the average age of employees being 45-50. A few ladies in their sixties and believe me their 'work ethics ' had not decreased. They certainly were not less capable or fit than the younger employees. They worked their butts off and made many of the younger ones look like complete bums.
Sure many of them had bad knees or backs (from so many years of hard work) but unlike the young ones, didnt take sickies on a weekly basis.
Again there can be no generalization. A lot of narrow mindedness here.

As in any ministerial position, The Aged discrimination Commissioner must have had to become fully educated on the situation of the aged, achieving a greater understanding of her newly appointed role.

Is the retirement age 65? I find it unusual that there are so many, aged 55-65 receiving the dole. Unusual that a working male or female, should leave their employment, knowing their alternatives arent flash. Unless they simply couldnt handle the position or were laid off. In which case possibly unfair dismissal comes into play. Surely the individuals can then put their case to the Aged Discrimination board. Present a clean bill of health and the case cleared up. (they mustn't be at that point of their $55million review just yet)

Is it also unusual that Sasan Ryan claims 'if 5% of the aged on the dole, returned to work there would be a $4.8 billion impact on the economy annually'. Im not going to try to work out the maths but gee that's a hell of alot.
Imagine the impact if 5% of the unemployed youth got a job too, but the aged are the target and it does seem a little double edged to me.