“60 is the new 40” — Sylvia Lim on the important role of older workers

SINGAPORE: In Parliament on Tuesday (Feb 27), Workers’ Party MP Sylvia Lim (Aljunied GRC) underlined how important older workers are to Singapore, saying “60 is the new 40.”

She expressed concerns over age discrimination in the workplace, telling the story of one man in his 70s with many years of experience in the healthcare industry who “found it near impossible to land an interview, let alone secure a job.”

However, it’s not only older seniors who are having to face age discrimination, added Ms Lim, saying that even those who are in their 40s are not spared, despite numerous job vacancies in Singapore.

Ms Lim, who chairs the WP, made reference to the “young seniors” mentioned by Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong when he announced the Budget statement on Feb 16.

Having been born before 1973, Ms Lim counts herself among “young seniors” who enjoy the benefit of better life expectancy and should be tapped as “a resource for the good of the nation.”

“We still have much to contribute as citizens,” she said.

The argument against older workers due to some more physically demanding jobs has also ceased over time, and technology and artificial intelligence have addressed this issue.

Ms Lim cited a CNA commentary from Dr Helen Ko, Senior Lecturer at Singapore University of Social Sciences, who had said that the most important factor to consider with a worker is not age “but whether the demands of work exceeded the worker’s capabilities.

She noted that in this modern era, health and technology improvements meant that there were few jobs that the average 70-year-old could not do.”

She also cited World Health Organisation studies that refute ageing misconceptions. People do not age in the same way, and “80-year-olds have levels of physical and mental capacity that compare favourably with 20-year-olds.”

“Each new cohort of the older population is effectively younger and should not be discriminated against because of age,” Ms Lim noted.

The Aljunied GRC MP acknowledged the programmes carried out by the government to incentivize employers to hire older workers and added that she looks forward to the anti-discrimination legislation to be unveiled later this year, one of which is age discrimination.

She also praised the efforts to reskill and upskill older workers announced in the Budget statement.

Ms Lim added, “We still have work to do to tackle age discrimination if we are to maximise our country’s potential and wellbeing. All of us should be lifelong learners or risk becoming obsolete.

As I said at the start of my speech, 60 is the new 40. Let us embrace this reality with renewed confidence.” /TISG

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