Author(s): Benjamin CHAN YIN-FAH
Elderly aged sixty and above is gaining a larger share of the population pie in Malaysia but their involvement in the labor force is on a steady decline. In general, Human Resource personnel (HR) is the gatekeeper for the recruitment of elderly workers and the decision to recruit or re-employ an elderly worker might depend on their perception towards elderly workers. This study aims to identify the HR personnel’s perception towards elderly workers. A self-administered survey with 136 HR respondents was conducted using a 13 items modified version of the Mature Age Worker Employer Survey (Alpha=0.728) by the Social Policy Research Centre, NSW. The perceptions of HR personnel towards elderly workers are more likely associated with positive characteristics than negative. Interestingly, the younger HR personnel group reported a better perception towards. Rather than instilling a positive image of elderly workers, improving the employability of the elderly workers is crucial since paid employment is the key to maintain an equivalent standard of living in old age.
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