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Older worker-orientated human resource practices, wellbeing and leave intentions : A conservation of resources approach for ageing workforces
Farr-Wharton, Ben Bentley, Tim Onnis, Leigh-ann Caponecchia, Carlo Neto, Abilio De Almeida O’Neill, Sharron Andrew, Catherine
Farr-Wharton, Ben
Bentley, Tim
Onnis, Leigh-ann
Caponecchia, Carlo
Neto, Abilio De Almeida
O’Neill, Sharron
Andrew, Catherine
Abstract
At a time where there are ageing populations, global shortages of skilled labour, and migration pathways impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, retaining older workers presents as a vital strategic initiative for organizations globally. This study examines the role of Human Resource Practices (HRPs), which are oriented towards accommodating the needs of an ageing workforce in mitigating psychological distress and turnover intentions. The study collected self-reported survey data from 300 Australian employees over the age of 45, over two time points. Using structural equation modelling, the study analyzed the extent to which Older Worker-oriented Human Resources Practices (OW-HRPs) translate into employee psychological health and retention within organizations, through the mediation of ageism and work–life conflict. The results support our hypothesis that OW-HRPs are associated with lower ageism, better work–life balance; and in combination these reduce psychological distress and help retain older workers in the workforce. We conclude that OW-HRPs can foster work environments conducive to older worker wellbeing, supporting the retention of talent and maintaining effectiveness, in the face of substantial labour supply challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and an ageing population.
Keywords
mature-age human resource practices, older workers, mental health, turnover intentions, age-discrimination, ageism, work-family conflict
Date
2023
Type
Journal article
Journal
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Book
Volume
20
Issue
3
Page Range
1-13
Article Number
Article 2725
ACU Department
School of Allied Health
Faculty of Health Sciences
Faculty of Health Sciences
Collections
Relation URI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
Published as ‘gold’ (paid) open access
License
CC BY 4.0
File Access
Open
Notes
© 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).