Stamping out ageism in the workplace

Discrimination can come in many forms, and ageism is one of the most common.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), one in two people is ageist against older people. WHO also said that ageism could cause issues with health and wellbeing, such as earlier death, poor psychical and mental health, increase in unhealthy behaviours, and lower overall quality of life.

It’s important to note that ageism doesn’t just apply to the discrimination of older people. Younger people can fall victim too.

Washington University’s Institute for Public Health discussed youth-directed ageism, stating that “younger adults are often assigned unfavourable stereotypes due to their generational differences from older adults. Research reveals that negative stereotypes associated with younger adults include the notion that they are coddled, radically progressive, disrespectful, and inexperienced”.

Stamping out ageism, regardless of who is being affected, is crucial to creating an inclusive and safe workplace. There are some ways that employers can reduce the chance of issues occurring, as listed by Everfi:

Provide discrimination and diversity training: Give your employees the knowledge to identify issues and do something about it. If staff don’t understand an issue, how are you going to be able to eliminate it? Providing training that discusses biases and stereotypes and how to avoid these issues can be beneficial to creating a healthy workplace.

Introduce policies and enforce them: Having policy in writing gives you a leg to stand on if problems with ageism arise. However, it’s not enough to have policies in place if they aren’t enforced. Action should be taken when this policy is breached; otherwise, issues won’t be resolved.

Reward based on performance, not tenure: Recognise the value that employees bring based on their merit, not how long they’ve been with the organisation. This ensures you’re providing fair treatment but also makes sure you’re rewarding those who deserve it most. With promotions, promoting those who are best for the job rather than the one who’s been there the longest can also ensure that your organisation runs better and shows that hard work pays off.

Start with hiring: Unconscious bias can creep in at any point. Try to reduce these issues as early as the hiring process. This can be achieved by getting rid of birthdates on applications, removing language such as “grads” or “young”, or passing over someone because they’re closer to retirement.

Don’t let go of employees based on age or pay: If someone has to be let go from an organisation, don’t base the decision based on age. This can create legal issues as well as permeate negative bias in the company. If you decide to let someone go because they’re closer to retirement, that can be cause for unfair dismissal. Similarly, targeting an older employee for dismissal because of higher pay, due to seniority, can lead to unfair dismissal. Everfi outlined a 2012 age discrimination case in which a 60-year-old employee was let go while a younger, less qualified employee kept their job. The company was ordered to pay the former employee $32,000.

It’s best to avoid these issues by focusing on ability, not age. Whether discriminating against younger or older workers, it’s all a form of ageism that can sow resentment within a company and land them in hot water. Embrace diversity and treat everyone respectfully, regardless of age.