March 14, 2020
How to Handle Age Discrimination in your Workplace
Since age discrimination can lead to a variety of problems for your business, it’s important to reduce it as much as possible. Let’s dive deeper into what age discrimination is and how you can handle it in your workplace.
What is Age Discrimination?
While the phrase age discrimination is commonly used, many people are unsure of exactly what it means. At its core, age discrimination occurs when an employee receives unfair treatment because of their age. There are four main types of age discrimination including:- Direct Age Discrimination
- Indirect Age Discrimination
- Age Harassment
- Victimization
How Does Age Discrimination Happen In The Workplace?
Unfortunately, age discrimination can be seen in all types of work environments, so you’re bound to experience it regardless of if you own a restaurant, construction firm, or insurance company. It’s particularly problematic in today’s world because there are many older people in the workforce. Individuals are prolonging their working lives for financial reasons and retiring much later than they did in the past. Often, professionals don’t even realize that they’re discriminating based on an employee’s age. For example, an employer may tell an older employee that a management position isn’t right for them because it involves travel. They may believe that the employee is unable to travel as much as a younger employee and discriminate against them as a result. This may be something they do subconsciously without even realizing that it’s unfair. The older employee may be just as willing and able to travel as a younger employee. There are plenty of examples like this one where employers and employees simply don’t know they’re engaging in age discrimination. They are doing what they believe is best for their organizations without giving age discrimination a second thought.How To Recognize The Signs of Age Discrimination
As an employer, it's in your best interest to pay close attention to the most common signs of age discrimination. After all, you're legally obligated to foster a workplace that’s free of discrimination and gives employees of all chances a fair chance to succeed. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) stops employers from discriminating against current and prospective employees who are at least 40 due to their age. It protects employees from age discrimination during interviewing, hiring, promotions, compensation evaluations, and more. Here are some of the telltale signs of age discrimination.
Older Employees Being Fired or Made Redundant
It’s legal to fire an employee. However, firing them based on their age is illegal. For example, imagine you own a software company. You have a few older employees in their 50s and 60s who need more time to learn the new features of the software. If you decide to fire them and replace them with tech-savvy employees who you believe can learn the features faster, you’re engaging in age discrimination. According to the The Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972, it’s illegal for most employers to fire employees because of their race, gender, disability, genetic information, or age. if you’re in a situation where you’re frustrated because older employees aren't learning a piece of technology as quickly as you’d like them to, firing them isn't the solution. Instead, consider hiring additional trainers to help them or creating tutorials to expedite the process. As an employer, it is your job to give everyone a fair chance to learn your software. As long as employees catch on in a reasonable amount of time, there's no reason to fire them.Experiencing or Experiencing Ageist Commentary
Ageism refers to discrimination and stereotyping based on an individual’s age. If someone is ageist, they may make it known through certain comments. Let’s say you hire an older woman to organize inventory at your warehouse. The woman is in her mid 50s and quick on her feet. She gets inventory stored in its proper place as soon as it arrives and is great at her job. Eventually, your business grows so you decide to hire another warehouse employee to help the woman organize inventory. This employee is a 20 something year old man who's fresh out of college. The man makes constant comments about the older woman’s age. He says things like “Wow! You’re fast for someone your age” or “I’m surprised you’re still working. Aren’t you ready to retire?” These types of ageist comments can make the woman feel uncomfortable and unaccepted in your workplace. Therefore, it’s your job as an employer to stop them as soon as possible.Becoming Isolated At The Workplace
Workplace isolation and age discrimination coincide. Workplace isolation occurs when an employee feels isolated or unwelcome at work. They may believe they have nobody to talk to and have a difficult time relating to their co-workers. Unfortunately, workplace isolation can discourage them from performing to the best of their ability and motivate them to look for a new job. Let’s say you own a small business with five employees. Four of the employees are in their 20s and 30s while one is in their 60s. The employees in their 20s and 30s eat lunch together every day and have great relationships with one another. The 60 year old employee doesn't get invited to their lunches and feels left out. Since your employees likely spend much of their week at work, social isolation can be an emotional challenge for them. If you notice any social isolation as a result of age, it’s your responsibility to do something about it. Encourage a team environment and friendly culture where everyone feels included and appreciated.