What older workers really think about the office

They’re keen on financial security but many older workers have no career aspirations or big goals, says a new report on over-50s

The over-50s are keen to play a more “visible” role in the workplace. Picture: iStock

The most alarming thing about a new report from Australian Seniors is that it’s tapping into the attitudes and experiences of people aged over 50 – a threshold which seems incredibly young in an era when we are living longer and staying at work well past the ­retirement ages of our parents.

The Gen Seen Report 2024 does not ­define the over-50s as seniors, but surely it is tricky to lump them in with people who might be 20 or more years older than them. Indeed, of the 5000 people surveyed, 57 per cent were over the age of 60.

The report has some rich material about the aspirations and experiences of older people in the workplace – and some is particularly valuable for employers who now manage multi-generational workforces.

But it’s worth noting that while a 50-something worker is different from someone in their 30s, he or she is different again from someone on the cusp of 70 – an age at which many Australians are only just thinking about digging into their super.

Still, the Gen Seen Report demonstrates how a change of attitude toward work as people get older, does not necessarily mean a reduction in effort or commitment.

For example, 54 per cent of the over 50s report being on a steady career course, “neither advancing nor winding down”, while 40 per cent are winding down their careers, and only 6 per cent are still in the “building-up” phase.

So, for managers, the good news is that two-third of older employees are still well and truly committed; the bad news is that a good chunk of them have one foot out the door. The challenge is to work out how to engage that cohort more closely.

The survey also found that almost half of the respondents prioritise achieving financial stability and security, while about 37 per cent say achieving a better work-life balance is a significant goal.

Again, fair play and not surprising that people start reviewing their careers after 30- or-so years in the workforce. But almost a quarter of these workers say they have no career ambitions or goals at this stage – again something of a challenge to employers trying to get 110 per cent from their staff.

More worrying perhaps for companies that want older workers to pass on their corporate knowledge and wisdom to younger staff, is the finding that only 19 per cent are interested in mentoring or guiding younger careers. How does an employer make it worth their while to help younger workers?

There is a stack of research and plenty of anecdotal evidence that older people often feel “invisible” to younger people – at work or socially – and this report finds that “post- 50 visibility at work is also an issue for some”, with 42 per cent feeling less seen or heard in their workplace since turning 50.

“Employers are most typically seen to view employees differently starting at age 50–54,” the report notes, when 24 per cent of those surveyed began to feel a shift in the way they were perceived. But for other workers, the “invisibility” effect begins later; 19 per cent noticing the shift between 55 and 59; and 15 per cent suggesting it kicked in once people turned 60.

Again, it’s not surprising and shows that the reduced commitment in the workplace is a two-way street.

The good news for multi-generational workplaces is that two-thirds of those surveyed say they like working with younger people, even if 85 per cent of older workers believe the younger generations doubt their technological skills.

At the same time, about 83 per cent of those surveyed say the older employees are generally undervalued, and 78 per cent agree that the efforts of older employees often go unnoticed when compared to younger generations.

Depending on strategies in regards to hiring, firing, churn and redundancy, companies might need to act on that slight sense of malaise among the over-50s.

With people keen to stay in the workplace for financial reasons well into their 60s, managers who can ease that sense of older people being overlooked will potentially reap large rewards in terms of effort and engagement.

The report asked about “ageism” – discrimination based on age – in the workplace, and 76 per cent of respondents report it as “extremely or reasonably present”.

Over-50s also report feeling overlooked in job opportunities (27 per cent); promotion opportunities (19 per cent); pay and conditions (23 per cent); recognition or awards (19 per cent); and training opportunities (18 per cent).

What’s interesting about those numbers is that they are comparatively low – in general, less than a quarter of over-50s have complaints in any of those specific areas about being overlooked on the basis of their age. Indeed, the percentages suggest it might not be so hard for employers who are keen to pull their older workers back into the tent to re-engage them. Think of the other 75 per cent who don’t feel badly done by on the basis of age, consider what makes them feel happier, and take it from there.

The report comes at a time when some companies are more focused on ensuring workers return to the office full-time rather than worrying about whether their older workers are committed to the project.

But the finding that 37 per cent of those surveyed over 50 have better work-life balance as one of their priorities, suggests that work from home, for example, is not just attractive to people in their parenting years, and that this cohort could respond well to more overt strategies around working times and location.

Part-time work is attractive to many older Australians but it’s not always possible to downsize in their current jobs, nor is it practical to cut back too much financially.

Which is where more innovative thinking around four-day-week models comes in. A four-day-week as a trade-off to working in the office could be a win-win for older staff.

The Gen Seen Report covers much more than the workplace; it also surveys stereotypes and happiness levels in society more generally. Among those findings is that one in three respondents report that the happiest times in their lives have come after they turned 50.

The report says: “When we focus solely on those in their 50s, 23 per cent say this decade has been their happiest time. For those in their 60s, it is 24 per cent, and those in their 70s, it’s 21 per cent”.

Also interesting is that far from feeling “middle-aged”, almost 60 per cent feel that they have not yet hit “the prime of their life”. Among those who report being in their prime, the average age is 51.

Stereotyping older people remains an issue, even as the zeitgeist shifts: a staggering 90 per cent of those surveyed say they face stereotypes about getting older, the most common preconceptions relating to health and medical conditions; physical and mental decline; and simply being ignored by younger generations.

Almost 75 per cent report they have experienced “emotional impacts” from that negative branding.