Australian workplaces are facing the most significant demographic shift in modern human history. In 1990, just 15.9 percent of the Australian population was aged over 55. Today, that figure sits at one in four – which looks set to increase even further to around one in three within the next decade. But are we ready?
Why is it so hard to get diversity right? Many organisations attempt to identify, educate and implement policies and activities to improve diversity in their workforce. Despite this, we are yet to see impactful and sustainable change.
“Higher absenteeism, lower productivity, higher staff turnover… as well as reputational damage”. They’re just a few of the issues arising from an alarming amount of workplace discrimination uncovered by the Australian Human Rights Commission related to pregnancy, parental leave or returning to work from leave. Fortunately, there’s a fantastic new website to address these very issues.
Employing people with disability doesn’t need to be expensive or hard – and it could prove to be one of the best decisions your organisation ever makes.
In this guest post, CEO of not-for-profit job agency Ostara Australia, Tom Baxter, provides practical advice for you to welcome employees with disability into your organisation.
With women making up more than 80% of the community sector workforce, you might think that your NFP would be ahead of the curve in terms of female leadership. But while NFPs do generally fare better than the norm when it comes to hiring and supporting female leaders, research shows that there is still huge […]
You might have heard that the gender pay gap in Australia reached a record level last week, with women now being paid on average 19 percent less than men. And the gap is even bigger for women in management positions. Data from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) has found that women in management positions […]
It’s the reality that employers are only just beginning to address: the Australian workforce is getting older, fast. As Generation X-ers begin to enter their 50s, NFPs need to plan for the challenges of an older workforce, but also recognise the significant benefits that longer, healthier careers can bring to the sector. Susan Ryan AO […]
You probably know that diversity is good. Good for your organisation (diverse workforces perform better), good for your team (more diverse workforces lead to higher client satisfaction), and good for your staff (staff in diverse workforces are more committed and less absent). But despite all of this goodness, many organisations can be daunted by the idea of increasing […]
Of the 2.1 million working-age Australians with a disability, the majority are unemployed, despite many of them having a desire and the ability to work. This represents an incredible opportunity for NFPs to widen their recruitment pool and not only meet their workforce needs but also improve their organisation’s performance. In this guest post, Tom […]
According to research by Deloitte, if just 10% of staff in an organisation felt more included, their attendance at work would increase by almost one day per year. Not only that, but employees who perceive that their workplace is inclusive also see the organisation as better performing – and this trickles through to actual organisational […]