Valuing Experience

Should we call them 'older workers'?

Many people are sensitive about their age.  Having their age highlighted in the workplace, or being referred to as ‘older’ is the last thing they want.  Some employers have used terms such as ‘mature’, ‘ageing’ or ‘life-experienced’ to soften the age implications.  ACC decided to just talk about ‘plus 40’ and let people self-select as to whether the initiatives they were talking about were relevant to them.

The term ‘older workers’ is useful for analysis, policy making or general discussion of the issue. Care should be taken, however, in applying it to individuals, or asking people to identify with the label.