Bendigo AU March 1 2020
As Rob Byrne prepared for an overnight security shift at La Trobe University's Bendigo campus late last year, his phone pinged with a message.
There would be a group interview for all 13 of the campus's security guards the next morning at 10:00, just one hour after 56-year-old Mr Byrne was due to clock off.
La Trobe University was changing security contractor and the new firm, MSS Security, was deciding which guards it was going to keep.
"It wasn't until later that we realised where they'd cut the line: the over-50s didn't get a job and all the under-50s did," Mr Byrne told 7.30.
"I think it is a case of age discrimination, clearly. It's very upsetting."
Mr Byrne and six of his colleagues, all aged over 50, weren't employed by MSS Security, while six younger security guards were all offered jobs.
Until recently, MSS Security was still advertising for more guards to fill the positions left vacant by the older staff.
He was also told he was no longer needed when MSS Security took over.
Each time the security contractor changed, he and the other guards would move to the employment of the new company.
"I did love my job, but I felt completely humiliated through this whole process," he told 7.30.
Mr Howarth has lodged an age discrimination complaint with the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission.
"I don't want to see others go through the same thing, I don't want to see anybody else go through this sort of rubbish," he said.
"Older workers can do the job just as well as someone in their 20s and 30s, sometimes even better because you've got the experience."
Age discrimination is illegal under state and federal law and workers alleging discrimination can choose where they take their complaint.
Victorian equal opportunity and human rights commissioner Kristen Hilton deals with about 100 age discrimination complaints each year.
"[Age discrimination] might mean you're missing out on a promotion, you're not getting a job, you're being dismissed, you're being targeted for a redundancy or you're being harassed because of your age," she told 7.30.
"That's unlawful.
"Certainly, some of the complaints we've seen have been about the effect not just on a person's livelihood, but also in their sense of what they're able to contribute to society.
"Work is very much a part of our identity, it goes to your sense of self-esteem. People can feel really dismissed, undermined, we have these cultural assumptions about what older workers can or can't do."
She sees a contradiction in current attitudes.
"We are encouraging people to stay in the workplace longer, but we know that age discrimination is really prevalent," she said.
La Trobe University declined an interview with 7.30 but sent a statement saying security staffing decisions are not its responsibility.
"La Trobe University is committed to providing a safe university environment for its students and staff and in recent years has invested significantly in a range of services and capital improvements to strengthen safety and foster a strong, respectful community culture," the statement said.
"The University has recently appointed a new provider for its Security and Crowd Control Services following a robust and comprehensive procurement process.
"The new provider, MSS Security, commenced in January 2020. Staffing decisions are the responsibility of the new provider, not La Trobe, and we require our suppliers and contractors to comply with Victorian and Commonwealth laws, including equal opportunity legislation."
Mr Howarth is now worried about how he'll pay his bills and the mortgage on the home he shares with his mother.
He would love to return to La Trobe University but is not sure that will be possible.
"I'm just hoping, hoping, I can find more work," he said.
"If it's not back to my old job, I'll gladly work somewhere else.
"I don't think everybody discriminates as badly as what has happened to me."
Mr Byrne lives at home with his parents and is struggling to regain his confidence to find another job.
"You can't not put your age on your resume, and if you don't put your age there, it won't be too hard to work out from the employment you've had, so I don't know how we get around that," he said.
"I did work hard, in 18 months, I never had a sick day and never missed a shift, so I don't think we deserve what we got."
"I hope there are places out there that don't discriminate against me because of my age."
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