50 is the new 20 in hospitality: why hiring retirees is good for the restaurant business
To fix its staffing shortage problem a Queenscliff restaurant in Victoria is hiring over 50s and retirees.
Owner of the Bellarine Peninsula restaurant Barry Iddles used hundreds of postcards to attract retirees to work for him.
No experience was necessary, just enthusiasm.
Iddles now has 12 members of staff over the age of 50.
"We've got two 74-year-olds, a 70-year-old, and then we've got [people aged] 57, 60, 64, 66 and 67," Iddles told the ABC.
"There is a labour shortage and a labour crisis, [but] I don't have one. I have five too many staff at the moment. And I could actually open another venue to keep them all gainfully employed."
Staff come from all walks of life and include 67-year-old Kenton Savage, who was all set for retirement pre COVID until his distribution business went bankrupt.
Kenton had little superannuation and rising cost of living bills.
"The pension just didn't pay enough. So, I looked around for a job and Barry was hiring," he said.
"I think it just keeps me fit and healthy and happy. Being able to get out and about, it's really been good for me," he said.
According to The Council for Older Australians (COTA) chief executive Ian Yates older workers are usually sceptical about ageism in the workplace and therefore reluctant to apply for jobs.
"Many older people will have experienced a lot of knock backs and not being taken seriously as prospective employees," Yates told the ABC.
"The labour market is so tight, that employers are being forced to look at channels and groups that they wouldn't normally look at, including older Australians."
Targeting older workers could become a trend and there are significant benefits for all involved.
"Businesses that are creative and open in their recruitment are going to see significant benefits from having a more diverse workforce," Melbourne Law School researcher Alysia Blackham said.
Ageism is still problematic, however older workers also face tax implications.
The limits on earnings before they affect the pension have been prohibitive.
While the federal government raised the earnings limit to allow pensioners to earn an extra $4,000 a year before government payments were reduced, according to many this did not go far enough.
Essentially, retirees can only work one shift a week on a minimum income before they are penalised for working.
“I mean, that [policy] was all window dressing in my opinion. The pension just gets wiped out by the extra income," Yates said.
"I think the government is putting its toe in the water to see what kind of reaction that generates."
Aside from the financial issues, there is one huge positive: working keeps retirees involved in the community.
Another Iddles employee is 73-year-old Susan Burston who told the ABC, "COVID made a lot of people depressed. And I know amongst the older ones, we're all saying we're actually find it quite difficult to get out and about again.
"[Working] makes me feel better. And I love putting in, I love contributing."
Burston highlights the advantages of hiring older generations.
"How well we work and what a good ethic we have. We're reliable. We're not trying to get out of the work," she said.
Iddles’ postbox postcard drop has been a huge success and he has encouraged other employers to follow the trend.
"I have another four chomping at the bit to join our team," he said.
"Three of them had been out of the workforce for a long, long time. [They came] back one or two days a week, and they transition very quickly," he said.
Jonathan Jackson - 15-11-22
