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Retaining workers in an ageing population: Insights from a representative aged and community care organisation
Author(s) -
Austen Siobhan,
McMurray Clinton,
Lewin Gill,
Ong Rachel
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
australasian journal on ageing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.63
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1741-6612
pISSN - 1440-6381
DOI - 10.1111/j.1741-6612.2012.00599.x
Subject(s) - casual , workforce , aged care , population ageing , employee retention , business , medicine , gerontology , population , demographic economics , nursing , environmental health , economic growth , political science , economics , marketing , law
Aim: To provide new measures of employee retention in the aged care sector and to identify how employment retention varies across key groups of workers in the sector. Method: The techniques of survival analysis were applied to staff record data from a representative provider of aged and community care services. Results: We showed that 63% of carer employment spells end within 2 years. Fifty‐seven per cent of nurse employment spells ended within this time period. Employment retention was poorest among young recruits, men and workers on casual contracts. Conclusion: The high rates of staff turnover add substantial costs and risks to aged care organisations and should be the focus of workforce strategies. Casual employment is one potential contributory factor. However, the role of wages and other working conditions should also be examined. Given the importance of mature‐age women in the sector, strategies should focus on their circumstances and needs.