News
Age, health and employability - the facts, not the myths
Myths and misunderstandings about age and health are bad for business, bad for the economy and bad for individuals. Of course there are grains of truth that cannot be ignored, but in spite of some evidence supporting the myths, there is enough counter evidence to rightly question them when considering differences between individuals and work situations.
As an employer, the message has to be - judge each person as an individual, not as a number or a birth certificate.
Are all older workers a health liability?
No. Health is influenced by many factors, particularly lifestyle, activity and nutrition. Although risk of illness or disease may increase with age, this is not always the case. In fact the good news is that the general health of older adults is improving, suggesting that the risk of certain diseases may be decreasing.
Grey matter declines in direct proportion to the increase of grey hair
No it doesn’t. Why presume all older workers will experience decline in memory, reasoning and problem solving abilities. Both physical and mental capacity does change with age but evidence demonstrates that any variation in brain functioning in older adults is not decreased function but simply different from younger adults. In fact mental functions can even improve with increased experience.
Surely older workers are less productive ?
Don’t believe it. There is great individual variation in ability to work at any age. Research indicates that older workers can generally compensate for any decrease in speed by increases in quality and accuracy. Productivity cannot, therefore, be used as an ‘excuse’ to justify the exclusion of older workers from the workforce. One size does not fit all.
Any change in older workers capability must be bad for business ?
No, this isn’t the case. There are positive attributes of greater age including increased knowledge, experience and understanding. In fairness, most of the negative changes are irrelevant in the workplace, with the majority of changes occurring in advanced old age, long after most individuals have left employment.
Aren’t older workers more likely to have accidents in the workplace ?
No. The fact is that older workers generally show a responsible attitude to health and safety based on life experience, judging the limits of their abilities accurately and following rules and advice.
Older workers take more time off work sick
Not necessarily. In fact older workers have lower levels of short term / non-certified sickness absence than younger workers.
Related information
Age legislation - information for employers and individuals
Date: 28 Jul 06
Go to top of page
Go back to News home page