They have unrealistic concerns that older people will get sick more or not be adaptable to the new technologies and so on. Those concerns are not supported by the facts but, none the less, employers have them.
- Susan Ryan
AN inquiry in Albury next week wants to hear employment stories, good and bad, from older people and those with disabilities.
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Albury-Wodonga hearings for the national inquiry in employment discrimination against those groups will be held on Thursday and Friday, with online submissions also accepted.
Conducted by the Australian Human Rights Commission, the inquiry aims to learn more about the barriers preventing capable people from gaining employment.
Age and Disability Discrimination Commissioner Susan Ryan said hearings throughout Australia wanted contributions from a wide range of individuals, groups and employers.
"We chose Albury because it's important for us to look at regional centres as well as cities and the outer suburbs of cities," she said.
"We know a lot of people have opinions about this so we want to hear all of them."
Ms Ryan said hearings held so far indicated some employers simply did not want to hire older workers.
“They have unrealistic concerns that older people will get sick more or not be adaptable to the new technologies and so on,” she said.
“Those concerns are not supported by the facts, but none the less, employers have them."
Ms Ryan said recruitment agencies had also been criticised.
"In general they don't take enough care, either with older people or with people with disabilities, to look comprehensively at what the person can do and look at the jobs and make sure it's a good match," she said. "We need much more careful and well-informed assessment of the candidates' abilities. It sounds such common sense, but we do hear that it's lacking."
For more information go to humanrights.gov.au.