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Age discrimination in the labour market from the perspectives of employers and older workers
- Authors:
- CHEUNG Chau-Kiu, KAM Ping Kwong, NGAN Raymond Man-Hung
- Journal article citation:
- International Social Work, 54(1), January 2011, pp.118-136.
- Publisher:
- Sage
As older workers need to continue in employment, age discrimination becomes more frequent. As organisations cut costs, they often implement discriminatory practice against older works. This paper highlights the results from a study on age discrimination against older workers in Hong Kong. Seven hundred and eighty seven older workers, aged 45 and over, and 283 employers who were managers responsible for personnel or human resources management, or for hiring people for organisations, were surveyed. The study aimed to reveal the influences of the organisational goals of profit-making and social responsibility on age discrimination, along with influences from negative stereotyping and other factors. Findings indicated that the social responsibility goal tends to be more influential than negative stereotyping on age discrimination. In contrast, the profit-making goal did not display a significant effect on age discrimination. In conclusion, the study showed that the pursuit of profit did not constitute a strong cause for age discrimination. Therefore, an environment fair to older workers would not deprive an organisation of profit. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.
To retire or not to retire: is there an option for older workers in Hong Kong?
- Authors:
- CHOU Kee-Lee, CHOW Nelson W.S.
- Journal article citation:
- Social Policy and Administration, 39(3), June 2005, pp.233-246.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Over the next thirty years, Hong Kong will have a rapidly ageing population. One possible consequence of this will be a labour shortage, which means that it will be essential to strike a proper balance between the amount of time spent in work and the amount spent in retirement in old age. The balance is determined by the interaction between the aspiration of workers, employers’ attitudes to older workers, as well as the productivity of the labour force. This article examines the issue based on life-course theory and argues that the compartmentalization of education, work and retirement must be broken by changes in social policy. Three groups are identified as future older adults in the coming three decades: those who may be forced to retire early in their fifties, those who plan to retire in their sixties, and those who will continue to work until they can no longer work. The current situations of these groups are described, and social policies that are related to retirement pension scheme, age discrimination, life-long education, and flexible work arrangements are suggested to weaken the age structuring of education and employment institutions. The ultimate objective is to create a societal environment in which older workers have a real option either to work or to retire in the coming decades.