Ageism In the Workplace Brianne Baker (Second Part of Unit 3 Final Draft)

 

 What Does Ageism In The Work Place Entail?

    Many employers question the ability of their employees based on their age without realizing it. It is common to assume that a person is incapable of a task if they are very young for the job, or if they are one of the oldest employees. Without getting to know a person and properly assessing their skills, it is wrong to treat them with less respect than the rest of the workers. 

            Often times, this negatively affects the employee and their mindset. Ageism is implemented in the workplace when a supervisor assumes that a fully capable employee cannot complete the necessary tasks. This bias is discriminatory and socially unjust. The main reasons as to why anti-discrimination laws should be strictly enforced everywhere include creating age-friendly environments, abolishing false stereotypes, and disproving the disengagement theory. 

Creating An Inclusive Environment 

            When it comes to finding the job that works best, applicants are most likely in search of a job where they feel welcomed and included. People tend to choose jobs where their strengths are maximized, and they are doing something they enjoy. On top of this, the more comfortable someone is around their coworkers, the better they are going to be at doing their job. The flow between employees of all ages at work is actually extremely beneficia. Each individual carries a different level of knowledge with them and working together as a team in a healthy working environment can help to ease the work shifts for everyone. Overall, an age inclusive environment is essential when it comes to avoiding ageism in the workplace. This can only happen, however, if laws protecting this kind of environment are enforced. 

            The World Health Organization is a predominant factor in the lives of individuals when it comes to needing guidance and credible advice. WHO breaks down the importance of an age-inclusive environment and explains that, “Environments play an important role in determining our physical and mental capacity across a person’s life course and into older age and also how well we adjust to loss of function and other forms of adversity that we may experience at different stages of life” (World Health Organization https://www.who.int/ageing/age-friendly-environments/en/) . 

Protection From Descrimination 

            The Age Discrimination in Employment Act does not allow any employer to discriminate against people forty years old and above. With this act in place, the workforce as a whole is bound to be a more inclusive environment. Many employers try to get away with creating the opposite of an inclusive environment and turning away people because of their age and pretending it was for another reason. Anti-discrimination laws must be enforced strictly for healthy work environments to exist. 

            When thinking about a specific place of employment, it is likely that basic stereotypes are apparent in these thoughts. Different workplaces are known for having either a really young staff or vice versa, and lacking age diversity. Going along with these stereotypes are ones that have to do with the abilities that people have based on their age. The preconceived idea that young and older employees are less capable of performing well in their jobs was debunked by the World Health Organization. According to the organization, “Age is not reliable indicator when judging a worker’s potential productivity or employability. The OCED has recommended the eventual elimination of all mandatory retirement policies in order to benefit all workers, employers, and economies” (https://www.who.int/ageing/features/workplace-ageism/en/).

Age Is Just a Number 

             Contrary to popular belief, people of all ages have separate strengths and weaknesses, those of which may not line up with the pre-conceived idea of what people of a certain age can and cannot accomplish. Along with these stereotypes come ones about people who are past the age of retirement. Abolishing the mandatory retirement age would allow for people to come back to work at a part- or full-time job doing something that they are passionate about and finally have time for, or maybe even something that they would want to do for personal enjoyment. 

            The disengagement theory is a theory that encompasses the idea that when adults become older, they need to move away from society and from employment to age properly. Although it may make sense to think that as a person ages, they lose some of their capabilities, there is actually no evidence to back up points such as these. In fact, the book, “Age Diversity In The Workplace An Organizational Perspective”, explains that as people have more time to self-reflect in life, the more knowledge they can bring to the table in their place of work. This novel can be found in the Bloomsburg University library database and is one of the top sources utilized by students when it comes to the topic of ageism. The boom reveals that, “Research has shown that age-related losses and decline are neither universal nor inevitable, but instead that age-related changes are multidimensional and multidirectional, and there is great potential for plasticity at any age” (https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/bloomsburguniv-ebooks/reader.action?docID=4843449).  Looking past the disengagement theory and trusting research that shows that people of any age can benefit their place of work is essential for abolishing ageism. Social environments and society as a whole will prosper without the influence of the disengagement theory. As time goes on, older people are remaining more social than ever before, and their skills do not plumet due to a lack of social interactions. Therefore, they are able to be hired and perform their duties without any problems.

The Opposing Side 

            Many employers will assume an applicant's capabilities based on an idea that is instilled in everyones brains from early on. This idea is that older people lack the mobility needed to perform certain tasks, and younger people lack the knowledge and life wisdom needed to perform well at their jobs. These claims can often times be backed up by statistics and studies. 

            Even if this ideology is the case often times, it is still not a valid reason to assume a persons capabilities and place restrictions on them. I personally work at a toy store with people of all ages. My "work grandma" is a woman with the same work ethic and spirits as me. At first, our boss wasn't so sure about her working the register, taking out the trash and unloading and breaking down boxes. Karen quickly showed that she could handle it, and is now one of the best employees, proving my boss and everyone else wrong. 

            People of all ages are capable of many different things. Everyone must be protected from any discrimination because of their age. It is a common misconception for bosses to limit the tasks of an employee based on their age. 

What We Need to Fix This Social Injustice 

            Ageism in the workplace is an overarching large issue of social injustice. Age discrimination laws are implemented to reduce the issue, but employers find loopholes and they aren’t always strictly enforced. A plan is needed to establish as many age-friendly work environments as possible, to alleviate workspaces of all stereotypes regarding age, and to ultimately disprove the disengagement theory.