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ARTICLE · 16 JULY 2024

Employees Biden their time: how old is too old?

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Employers need to consider how to manage the issues that can arise from older employees thoughtfully and sensitively.

AustraliaEmployment and HR
Michael Byrnes
Michael Byrnes
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Employees Biden Their Time: How Old is Too Old?

Much media coverage has been given to whether US President Joe Biden has the physical capacity and mental acuity to campaign and secure a second term for the Democrats and then, if successful, effectively serve for the duration of that term. President Biden would be 82 years of age at the start of a second term, 86 years old at the end of it.

While commentary and prognostication about the US presidential election is outside the scope of this article, the discussion about President Biden raises broader questions for employers about employees of an advanced age.

In managing older employees, employers need to be mindful of the Age Discrimination Act 2004 (Cth) (ADA) and the general protections provisions of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (FWA) that prohibit adverse action for a range of prohibited reasons including, relevantly, age.

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Michael Byrnes, Partner
Phone: + 61 2 9233 5544
Email: [email protected]

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

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