Retirees who want to work face some challenging barriers. For Age Pensioners, these include the risk of earning more than the government’s Work Bonus allows, which could lead to lower or nil pension payments.
Another barrier is ageism. Employers are not convinced that older people have what they want these days. Thankfully, that is changing as employers learn from the experience of hiring seniors and finding out just how good they can be.
National Seniors Australia continues to vigorously campaign to make the government more generous in its treatment of pensioners and allow them to work and earn more without impacting their pension payments.
Retiree Rob’s story
After a 35-year career as a motor mechanic, Rob Longhurst says he was looking to try something different when he applied for harvesting work.
“I was semi-retired and looking to work outside of the mechanical trade. I saw the roles advertised and it was something I had never tried before and so I thought I’d give it a go,” Rob says. “One of the best things about harvest work is the variety. No two days are the same.
“I’ve enjoyed working with a great bunch of people with plenty of knowledge. As someone new to the industry, I really appreciated the support and guidance, and the on-the-job training.”
After working the harvest Rob was able to transition into a permanent part-time role.
“My advice to anyone considering applying for one of these roles is, go for it! It’s a great opportunity to earn some money over the holidays and if you enjoy the work, you could stay on and grow your career.”
A little talked about barrier to seniors getting jobs is knowing where to look for available jobs.
As many retirees would remember from their initial working days, those first years were tough and required them to apply for jobs that were not necessarily in their home city or town.
If you are willing to travel, and you are fit enough, you might want to consider fruit and vegetable picking.
Farmers in many parts of the country are seeking seasonal workers, which might suit those who want to combine work with the “grey nomad” lifestyle.
Agriculture network Viterra wants 1,500 seasonal workers to work the 2023/24 grain harvest across South Australia and western Victoria.
Viterra says it pays above award rates and provides all necessary training for the various roles from general grain handling to classification.
The harvest jobs are available at Viterra’s 53 sites across South Australia, and two in western Victoria, from around October to January, with the opportunity for ongoing work beyond the harvest period.
The company is recruiting now for the Eyre Peninsula, Mido and lower north Yorke Peninsula, and the Murray Mallee and south-east region.
The secret to finding paid work out of retirement is not to be too picky. That is unless you’re applying to be a fruit or vegie picker, of course.
Viterra General Manager of Operations Gavin Cavanagh says the outlook for the 2023/24 season is promising.
“The recent rainfall events have provided a great boost to crops and they are looking great,” Gavin says.
“We appear to be on track for an above average season, with the final result determined by spring conditions from mid-August to early October.
“Our harvest recruitment drive is really important in making sure we have the right people ready to support our grower customers when the harvest gets underway.
“Harvest workers are critical to our success in helping us to receive, store, and move local growers’ grain to international markets.”
