Ban ageism in the workplace (Ageism and Employment)

Member Name: jesperado

Product:	Ageism and Employment
Date:	27/02/09 (87 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: No advantages

Disadvantages: Can undermine people and make it harder for people to find work

I think that although it is technically a form of discrimination and as such is not allowed to influence the decision of potential employers, ageism is still present in many workplaces.

DISCRIMINATION AGAINST OLDER CANDIDATES:
I work in an establishment in which there are many different types of job and I have found that ageism against older people is present throughout most of these jobs. Men who have jobs with a physical aspect are often mocked by the younger men doing similar jobs. I have heard them refer to people as 'Grandad' and whilst it is generally taken in good humour there is a subtext beneath what they say which is a genuine insult. I think it can be very difficult for those approaching retirement age to get a job if they are suddenly made redundant or have to leave their job for some reason. Rather than respecting knowledge and experience, many employers view older people as less able to adjust to the pace of the modern work environment which I don't think is true at all. However, things don't seem to be so bad for women in clerical jobs in their late 50s and 60s that have been working in the same job for a number of these, in my experience these women tend to have a lot of respect from their colleagues.

DISCRIMINATION AGAINST YOUNGER CANDIDATES:
This is the type of age discrimination that gets less coverage in the media. I certainly experienced this when trying to get a job in administration straight after finishing university. I was turned down for a number of jobs. When I asked one employer whether there was anything I could improve on my CV or in my interview in future they told me that both of these were great but my age and level of education led them to believe that I wouldn't be in the job for long and would use it as a steeping stone to better things. Whilst I could understand their way of thinking, this simply wasn't the case for me and I found it very unfair that my age and education were being held against me. Since joining my current job I have been promoted from a part time to a full time clerical position. When talking to my first line manager about who was going to replace me in my part time position she told me that they wouldn't hire someone young as they wouldn't stick around. I found it outrageous that someone would be so blatantly ageist in an establishment that prided itself on equality of opportunity.

WHAT CAN BE DONE:
Unfortunately it is very difficult to get around ageism with the way that the interview process works. One way around it could be having separate people doing the interviewing and making the decision. If the decision maker went off the notes of the interviewer and didn't meet the candidate face to face they would not know their age and as such could avoid ageism. However this could still happen if the interviewer hinted in their notes about the candidates age which could well happen if ageism continues the way it has been. I think there needs to be more awareness of ageism as there is of sexism and homophobia in the workplace. People need to think before they speak as what you see as a throwaway comment could be very hurtful.

Summary: There is no place for ageism at work