Ageism In The Workplace

Ageism in the Workplace: A Cause for Concern Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the problems faced by older employees in the workplace. The problems researched include age discrimination affecting promotions, forced retirement and problems employers face when dealing with older employees. Older employees are facing the same economic issues faced by all employees. Those older employees who do not have, or are unable to survive on savings or investments still need to work. Employers are faced with the problem that as an employee gets older they may be unable to continue working in the same position, or maintain the same schedule and hours worked. It is apparent that this is an issue that will never go away, and employers
Strategies may include transitioning employees to less stressful and time consuming positions, placing older employees in work groups, and adjusting work schedules to enable employees to take care of personal necessities while still completing their work. Proper management of older employees within the workplace will maintain a professional work environment, while showing all employees that they have a future with the company. Workplace Tensions and Ageism Our older employees are the backbone of our workplaces and should be respected as such. Baby Boomers, who make up the greatest number of long-term, older employees, are facing an organizational culture that is lacking in support. Discrimination of employees because they have reached a certain age is unacceptable in the workplace. This discrimination, known as ageism, is the change in perception by younger employees and management when an employee transitions from a middle-aged to an
Each stereotype is disproved by fact. A very common phrase which is demeaning to older workers is “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”. People assume that older workers are unable to grasp and retain new information. Although memory loss is more common in the elderly, it is definitely not the norm. Another common mistake is assuming that older employees are less sociable. This personality trait can apply to people of all ages. Older employees have had more time to adapt to people and new settings and are more comfortable in social situations. It is also an assumption that older employees will not pull their weight and are just collecting a paycheck. Older employees have more experience performing their jobs, enjoy their jobs more than other age groups, are less apt to leave a job unexpectedly, and value their job security. Absenteeism is another myth that some may contribute to the fact that older employees may require more time away from work for medical reasons. According to the American Council of Life Insurance workers over 45 years old are absent 3.1 days a year compared to younger workers who average 3.8 days (Carr-Ruffino, 2009, p. 516-519). Many managers value their older employees for their experience, commitment to the company, work habits, respect for fellow employees and management, dependability, and their social interaction with coworkers. The benefits of older workers have to be weighed