Sharon Richens is a Physiotherapist with a Masters in Mental Health and over 25 years in personal injury. As Altius' Head of Customer, she drives strategy and customer solutions. A renowned speaker at industry events, she shares expertise on return-to-work solutions and insurer-employer collaboration. She is also an experienced mediator. Sharon was named in the Insurance Business Elite Women 2024 report and advocates for psychological wellbeing in the workplace, passionate about implementing evidence-based strategies with a practical, contextual lens.
One Size Fits None: Building a Safety Strategy for Five Generations
For the first time in history, as many as five generations are working together within Australian workplaces. Nevertheless, the majority of health and safety strategies continue to adopt a uniform approach. This lack of tailored consideration not only reduces employee engagement but may also increase risk.
A digitally‑native Gen Z employee faces different psychosocial hazards than a Baby Boomer with 40 years in the workforce. A Millennial or Gen X worker navigating peak life complexity
(mortgages, parenting, ageing parents) experiences burnout drivers that look nothing like the career‑stage stressors of other cohorts. And for the 76% of perimenopausal women (predominantly Gen X and Baby Boomers) who find symptoms problematic at work, the impact on engagement, absence, and retention is profound yet rarely addressed in WHS frameworks.
This session offers a practical and evidence-based approach for adjusting safety and wellbeing strategies to accommodate evolving workforce demographics, while moving beyond generational stereotypes.
Delegates will:
- Learn specific physical and psychosocial risk profiles for each generation, using current research data
- Assess their organisation's current maturity across five critical areas using the Multigenerational Workforce Wellbeing Checklist—a practical self‑diagnostic tool that delivers customised and practical takeaways
- Apply practical controls focusing on high‑impact areas including psychosocial risk assessment, flexible work design, and leadership capability
- Leave with a tailored Priority Action Guide, identifying their organisation's biggest gaps and the highest‑leverage next steps
The session addresses multiple conference focus areas: the changing workforce demographic, mentally healthy workplaces, psychosocial hazard management, and the needs of new and young workers. It is designed for WHS professionals, HR leaders, return‑to‑work coordinators, and anyone responsible for keeping a diverse workforce safe and well.
Generational diversity is a strength, but only when we lead with curiosity and adapt our safety thinking to match the people we employ. This session shows you how.