Harnessing the Value of a Mature Workforce in Aged and Community Care

With the rapid transition to new work practices due to COVID-19 and the scrutiny and outcomes from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, the aged and community care industry has experienced an exceptionally turbulent time in recent years. Perhaps the greatest issue that continues to challenge employers and their workers is talent shortages. Many organisations are looking to expand their older cohort of employees as a good match for the needs of their industry and clients. While mature workers offer significant value, managing the safety of this cohort can present employers with challenges and risks.

Aon and EML have worked together to create a forum for aged and community care employers to share their experiences, insights and solutions for addressing challenges like this. The Aged and Community Care Safety Network was established by Aon to offer clients and the wider industry access to peer support around complex health, safety and workers compensation issues. Working together with EML, experts in workplace safety, claims and related injury management for employers and workers, Aon organises quarterly meetings for the network’s 70+ members. They have an opportunity to take part in thought leadership discussions with industry peers and experts and seek support and best-practice guidance.

In this article we explore opportunities for the industry to harness the value of an older workforce. We also discuss how the network and its members are working together to develop better strategies and solutions to manage the safety and wellbeing of their older and longer-serving employees.

An Opportunity to Solve Talent Challenges

With Australians now living longer, the aged care sector is facing a significant shortfall in the workers they need to meet demand.  According to recent modelling[1], the 2020 workforce of 186,130 direct care aged care staff would need to grow by 70%, which is more than 130,000 additional full-time equivalent professionals, by 2050 to maintain current staffing levels.

This gap between demand and supply for talent already presents HR teams and senior leaders with workforce planning and operational problems. But it’s an issue that also gives rise to major workplace health and safety (WHS) risks. When employees work longer hours to make up for low staffing levels, they become fatigued and more challenged than usual by their workload. This results in employees being more susceptible to physical injuries as well as the strain on their mental health.

In an industry already experiencing a high rate of injury due to a combination of time pressure, high cognitive demand, repetitive and physically demanding tasks[2], anything that adds to these risk factors is an important concern. Latest figures from Safe Work Australia show that health and personal care workers reported the second highest frequency of serious injury claims out of all occupations in 2022[3]. Only labourers are more likely to experience a serious injury at work.

What a Mature Workforce Can Offer

Recruiting from a pool of more mature workers can bring benefits to both employer and employee. Older employees are generally a better match for aged and community care roles as many will have the life experience required to be more effective in taking care of ageing clients. Aon’s experience also suggests mature workers have greater resilience and that clients are better able to relate to older workers.

As a result of rising life expectancy, it’s becoming more common for older Australians to make the choice to work for longer. As their retirement savings in super need to last longer, it may make sense for them to continue earning while they have the capacity to work. In the decade from 2003 to 2013, there was a 235% increase in the number of people aged 65+ in the workforce in Australia[4]. By 2030, half of men and four out of ten women are predicted to continue to work past age 65[5].

Protecting Workers and Reducing Risks

The heightened risk of serious injury seen in health and personal care services can be an even greater challenge when we consider the impact of age on work-related injuries. Safe Work Australia figures also show that mature workers are more likely to experience serious injury. The frequency rate (claims per million hours worked) and incidence (claims per thousand employees) of serious injury is highest in the 60-64 age group and slightly lower for workers aged 55-59[6]. Our experience shows that compared with a younger person, mature workers are less likely to return to the workforce quickly, if at all. Not only does this increase costs associated with a worker’s compensation claim, it can also lead to unplanned termination of the employee’s career.

After years spent caring for others and dealing with the physical and emotional toll this can take on their health, we have seen that employees who have experienced serious injury may leave work with little in the way of celebration or acknowledgement. When this happens, it can send a negative message to other older workers, particularly when the injured employee has worked in the industry for many years. Seeing employees have their working lives cut short, with a potentially negative impact on their financial security and quality of life – can discourage their peers from being open about their own struggles to meet the demands of their role. This can reduce engagement and morale and further increase the risk of injuries among older workers.

“Those with physically demanding jobs may neither be able nor willing to work longer in the future. Preventing poor health before it begins, providing sound working conditions and supporting workers to manage chronic illness is thus key to ensuring productive and long working lives.”

Promoting an Age-Inclusive Workforce: Living, Learning and Earning Longer, OECD iLibrary, December 2020

Strategies to Support Safety and Wellbeing

The data on injury risk in the care profession and for older employees is clear. With more employees working well into their 60s, this presents aged and community care organisations with a challenge and an opportunity. Keeping employees safe and healthy for longer can give them a competitive edge in the job market, reduce costs associated with claims and injury management and create opportunities to engage and reward employees for their service.

In our recent Aon Aged and Community Care Safety Network forum, members heard from experts on the need for a more holistic strategy for managing injury risks and supporting wellbeing for mature workers.  Marcus Riley, author and expert on positive ageing, was joined by financial planning, workforce transition and WHS experts from Aon and EML to share insights and solutions for harnessing the value of mature workers in aged and community care.

An integrated approach, focussed on contemporary safety strategies, human capital practices and bringing together financial and retirement planning with outplacement and transition services, can help mature workers make better decisions about when and how to leave their role. When mature employees are approaching a stage when they’re unable to perform parts of their role, employers can help them actively manage transition of to a different role or employer, or into retirement. The earlier organisations start this journey with their employees, the greater the potential value for all stakeholders.

Mario Machado, National Practice Leader, Work Health Safety with Aon, agrees. “Compared with a more holistic and modern way of managing safety, relying on Fitness for Work strategies offers limited protection for employees as they age. We need to be more strategic and consider a range of supports, such as helping managers make more informed decisions when looking to reduce risk and improve health and wellbeing for mature workers.”

“The aged care and community workforce provide so much to their clients and our communities,” says Lauren Christiansen, General Manager, Partnerships & Distribution with EML. “Over the years we’re seeing age-related risk factors become more prominent as employees have chosen to keep working for longer. We’ve responded by supporting EML clients with the services that can help them take a more positive approach to mitigating these risks and enabling employees to make the most of their transition out of the workforce. Investing in strategies, research and innovation to help aged care and community workers with their career and wellbeing will continue to be an important focus for our team.”

Seeking Help from Industry Experts and Peers

A global body of research into managing mature workers is growing but there are no tried-and-tested models for aged and community care organisations to follow. While this ‘silver bullet’ solution for protecting and supporting mature workers may be lacking, there are a wide range of supports and services available. Reaching out to the Aged & Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA) is a good place to start. Joining the Aon Aged and Community Care Safety Network and taking part in our forums can help employers connect with peers, experts and service providers and learn more about the methodologies they’re using to meet workforce planning objectives and drive better outcomes for their organisation and workers.

References

[1] Deloitte Access Economics, Aged Care Reform: Projecting future impacts. A report for the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, July 2020

[2] Safe Work Australia, Key work health and safety statistics Australia 2022

[3] Safe Work Australia, Key work health and safety statistics Australia 2022

[4] Safe Work Australia, 2018

[5] Safe Work Australia, 2018

[6] Safe Work Australia, Key work health and safety statistics Australia 2022