Work Till You Drop: an OHS Perspective

By Anthony Powter

Australia's workforce is ageing. This is a direct result of our demographic profile wherby the number of middle aged and older persons in the labour force grows as the baby boomers move into their 50s and 60s.

Even without the current policy push to promote longer working lives, older person are remaining in the workforce longer and want to continue to work, often in roles that are to the detriment to their own and other's health and safety. This places employers in the difficult situation of having to balance their occupational health and safety obligations with anti-discrimination and unfair termination legislation.

(CCH Industrial Law News, issue 10, 28th October 2004)