Structural issues need to be fixed if Australians take longer to retire
Australian employers have been urged to stamp out age discrimination in workplaces following reports that younger workers are expecting to work past 70 years old.
Suhini Wijayasinghe, Head of HR Solutions at people2people, said inaction on age inclusion is economically unsustainable.
"Creating age-inclusive workplaces is no longer optional. It's a strategic imperative," Wijayasinghe said in a statement.
The HR leader remarks follow a recent report from people2people that showed younger Australians don't believe they'll ever retire.
According to the findings, half of Gen Z workers believe they will have to work until at least 70, while 38% expect to work to their mid-70s or later.
In fact, only seven per cent of Gen Zs and eight per cent of Millennials believe they'll ever be able to retire.
Across all generations, a third of the respondents said they hope to exit the workforce before the age of 65. However, only 50% of them actually believe this is realistic. Another 32% believe retiring between 65 and 69 years of age is more likely, while 17% expect to work into their 70s and beyond.
"Younger generations aren't just adjusting expectations — they're preparing for the reality of working longer," Wijayasinghe said. "But if we expect people to work into their 70s, we have to fix the structural issues that stand in the way, especially ageism."
While age discrimination is against the law, the poll revealed that 89% of workers believe employers rarely or never hire people near or past retirement age.
A third of them also believe people over 65 have no chance of being hired.
Findings from the Australian HR Institute (AHRI) in 2023 also revealed that 17% of HR professionals are actively excluding jobseekers aged 65 and above, while only a quarter of them are open to hiring talent who are in this age range.
This active exclusion comes despite 65% of the respondents saying they are facing recruitment challenges, which the AHRI said could be addressed by hiring older workers.
Last year, Age Discrimination Commissioner Robert Fitzgerald said Australia needs to break the "cycle of ageism" in workplaces.
"It is essential we bring down barriers facing older people so they can contribute their talents and experience to the workforce and ensure respectful treatment," the commissioner said.
