B/RIDGE Workforce Audit + Action System

Age-Inclusive Employer Certification

Are you known as an age-inclusive employer?

B/RIDGE™ is for companies who are ready to actively build that reputation.

B/RIDGE™ Certification is the badge you earn after investing in your workplace and closing the gaps. Proven by real, measurable improvement.

B/RIDGE Certified Age-Inclusive Employer badge

What Is an Age-Inclusive Employer?

A workplace that values every generation, equally.

An age-inclusive employer values and supports workers of all ages, from mature adults with decades of experience to young adults starting their careers.

Certification is earned across six areas of practice. Together, they form the foundation of a genuinely age-inclusive workplace.

  • Inclusive Hiring
  • Flexible Work Options
  • Ongoing Development
  • Inter-Generational Collaboration
  • Culture That Stops Age Bias
  • Knowledge Continuity & Succession Planning
71%
Of people 50+ believe ageism is prevalent in workplaces, and 30% say it has grown worse in the last five years.
New Zealand Seniors survey of 500 New Zealanders aged 50+, via HRD NZ
1 in 2
Complaints under age discrimination law relate to employment.
Australian Human Rights Commission
44%
Of HR professionals are not open to hiring workers aged 50 to 64 to a large extent.
AHRI & Australian Human Rights Commission, Older and Younger Workers report, 2025

Why Now

Employment tribunals across both countries are under real, measurable pressure, right now.

More people are working into their 60s and 70s than ever before, and age-related decisions are increasingly part of that picture. This is exactly why a documented, consistent process needs to be in place before an individual situation becomes a legal one.

B/RIDGE™ Certification delivers exactly that: a documented, evidenced record of process, action and progress you can stand behind.

NZ

22% Rise in Employment Claims

The Employment Relations Authority recorded a 22% rise in employment relationship problems lodged in recent years.

AU

Record Claims to the Fair Work Commission

The Fair Work Commission received a record number of claims in 2025.

NZ & AU

General Protections Claims Up 45%

General protections claims sit under Australia's Fair Work Act 2009 and cover a broad range of workplace disputes, including age discrimination. This category has risen 45% in recent years.

How B/RIDGE™ Aligns

Aligned with the Human Rights Act and the
Age Discrimination Act.

B/RIDGE™ aligns across a number of areas spanning the full employee lifecycle, from recruitment through to retirement, directly linked to the Human Rights Act 1993 in New Zealand and the Age Discrimination Act 2004 in Australia. That alignment is closely mirrored across both countries, reflecting how similarly each Act approaches age discrimination in employment.

Human Rights Act 1993 (NZ)
Age Discrimination Act 2004 (AU)
1
Recruitment
2
Onboarding
3
Development
4
Leadership
5
Retirement

How the Badge Is Earned

Earned through both action and results.

Most age-inclusive employer badges are awarded on application, once an organisation signs up to a set of principles.

B/RIDGE™ takes a different approach: an organisation only displays the B/RIDGE™ Certified Age-Inclusive Employer badge once it has invested in improving its workplace and shown real, measurable improvement through its first six-month Progress Pulse survey.

01

Backed by a 38-question audit across six workforce areas with readiness level scoring, followed by a six-month Pulse Survey to confirm improvement.

02

Valid for 12 months, renewed through a re-audit or Progress Pulse check, so the badge always reflects a current, evidenced state.

03

Strengthens your employer brand and sits within recognised ESG and DEI annual reporting, the Social pillar of ESG and the Age dimension of DEI.

04

Displayed on the Careers and About page, in job advertisement footers, LinkedIn certification, internal comms, onboarding and in formal reporting.

The Return

What B/RIDGE™ certification delivers.

Lower Cost of Departure

Structured knowledge transfer and succession planning lower the cost of every exit, planned or sudden, before it compounds.

A Recruitment Edge

A visible, earned credential on your careers page signals genuine commitment to being an age-inclusive employer.

Board-Ready Reporting

Certification gives your board an ongoing view of progress through regular governance reporting.

Reduced Legal Exposure

A documented process with proven action is your strongest evidence that your practices are genuinely age-inclusive.

Get Started

See where your organisation stands today as an age-inclusive employer.

Most organisations have never measured this formally.

Start with the audit. Earn the badge.

BUILDING FUTURE-READY, MULTIGENERATIONAL WORKPLACES

bridgeaudit.co.nz | support@bridgeaudit.co.nz | 027 479 6368