Human Resources Unit
The growing number of older workers presents distinct challenges. The fifty years and older age group is the fastest growing segment of the workforce. As this generation leaves the workforce there will be fewer employees to replace them.
The immediate challenge for the University is to determine and implement strategies to:
To prevent significant job/University knowledge loss, local areas must implement knowledge management programs to capture and facilitate transfer of difficult to replace intellectual capital.
The University must focus on retaining employees with special expertise, key relationships or hard to replace skills. Flexibility is the most attractive retention strategy for an ageing workforce. A number of options are available:
Training opportunities should be considered that provide work/life balance information. Skill development programs to support specific skill sets through coaching, special assignments and mentoring should also be considered.
Knowledge Capture
Local areas must consider implementation of knowledge management practices to capture and disseminate the acquired functional and technical expertise of retirees. In an effort to capture specific knowledge in order to transfer difficult to replace knowledge to remaining employees several options are available:
Knowledge Dissemination
Local areas must consider the use of mentoring partnerships to encourage senior employees to reach out to younger employees and in the process impart some critical job skills to them. These mentoring programs can be successful on two levels, first in transmitting knowledge from older employees to younger workers but also successful in motivating and retaining retirement age workers.
Training and development is another long term option for consideration. Local areas may choose to design and offer a variety of courses that focus on functional and technical expertise critical to the University’s needs as well as courses on personal development.
Phased retirement enables organisations to retain required skills whilst enabling mature workers to develop outside interests. Rather than going from full-time work to retirement the staff member eases out of employment by way of reducing the number of hours worked, or by reducing the responsibilities through other means. It can also include the practice of vacating a present position in the University’s structure and becoming a flexible resource within the organisation, perhaps in a project or mentoring capacity.
A robust Performance Management Plan is required to support any phased retirement initiative. The focus should be on identifying potential work processes related to physical capability and the effective design of work roles to utilise the staff member’s skills and experience. Management of the culture and support from other staff is required to ensure mature workers relinquish their former position with comfort and dignity, as the transfer of skills and knowledge and the retraining of mature staff is undertaken.
Prior to changing their working conditions, the impact on the retiree’s superannuation benefit must be considered by the retiree. As the individual University superannuation funds are governed by separate Trust Deeds, different rules will apply to the retiree’s future superannuation benefit. It is advised that the retiree contact the University’s Superannuation Officer and the retiree should also be encouraged to seek financial advice.
Through the workforce planning process, the University may identify an opportunity to conclude a continuous position in the future, or a continuing staff member may apply to separate from the University by entering into a pre-separation contract. Opportunities to enter into a pre-separation contract provide managers and staff with employment flexibility.
Examples may be when it has been identified that an area or program has a limited life cycle, where an area is undergoing or planning managing change or to enable career management and succession planning opportunities.
A pre-separation contract is one in which a staff member elects to alter their employment relationship from continuing status to a single, non-renewable fixed term contract for a period of up to five years. In return for opting for a fixed term appointment, the staff member shall receive a salary loading on their annual base salary.
As with phased retirement, the staff member should contact the University’s Superannuation Officer or their superannuation fund to discuss the impact of their superannuation entitlements.
Further information on pre-separation contracts can be accessed through the University’s website at http://www.unisa.edu.au/hrm/employment/flexible/pre-separation.asp
For any enquiries please contact the following staff in the Human Resources Unit:
Greg Charnley - Manager: Remuneration and Workforce Strategy
Bernice McGrath - Consultant: Remuneration and Workforce
Strategy
Your local HR Manager can also provide support and assistance:
Portfolios -
Liz Thornley
Business -
Louise Seaman
Education, Arts and Social Sciences -
Kerry Wells
Health Sciences -
Justene Knight
Information Technology, Engineering and the Environment -
Jo-Ann Spry
Local information about the University’s age profile is available by accessing the Workforce Profile Cube link on this website.
