Age Discrimination in the Workplace Post-COVID-19

Age Discrimination in the Workplace Post-COVID-19

As the pension qualification age moves higher, dreams of early retirement are evaporating. You’re told you must work longer, but does corporate reality match the policy?

An Australian Bureau of Statistics labour report states that in 2021, there were 639,400 employed people aged 65-plus in June of this year. This is an increase from 563,600 in June 2020 of 11.9 per cent. People are working longer, yet age discrimination remains a serious issue in the workplace. 

Age discrimination in the workplace

Age discrimination occurs when a person is treated less favourably, or not given the same opportunities as others in a similar situation but of a different age. Examples of age discrimination in the workplace include:

• Having a potential employer presume you won’t ‘fit in’ because of your age

• A manager making choices around redundancy, or forcing someone to retire because of their age

• Limited opportunities for promotion, raises and continued professional development due to age

• Comments made to insult a person’s age

• Social group segregation

• Assumptions about older workers not understanding today’s technology

Age discrimination can impact any age group but for those looking to extend their working life it can be particularly troublesome. Age discrimination can hurt individuals, cause disruptions at work, and undermine staff morale. Making a workplace a discrimination-free zone is something every employer or employee can work towards.

Preventing age discrimination in the workplace

The best way to avoid age discrimination in the workplace is to embrace a multigenerational workforce. This means recognising that all employees, no matter their age, can contribute to an organisation’s success. 

Diversity training can go a long way in building an inclusive working environment. It covers topics such as respect, implicit bias and team building. It can also help you to recognise unique strengths within your organisation, including what a person’s age brings to the table. 

For employers, it’s important to have policies in place that stress that unfair treatment based on age will not be tolerated. Everyone in your organisation should be aware of these policies and leading by example is key. Workplace culture is profoundly influenced by the actions and values of owners and managers and other staff will take their lead from the language you use when you talk to, and about, older workers and job seekers. The policies and practices you introduce to dispel stereotypes and ensure equal opportunity for staff of all ages will gain credibility from your open endorsement and implementation.

Why preventing age discrimination is important

The past two years have been defined by uncertainty and our jobs have become an increasingly important part of our lives. Sadly, Australian Senior’s Ageing in the Workforce 2021 report revealed that 9 in 10 believe that ageism is prevalent in the workplace. 1 in 5 of those surveyed have experienced age discrimination in the workplace and close to 1 in 4 believe they have been turned down for a job based solely on their age. 

When older workers are discriminated against, everyone is affected. Age discrimination negatively impacts not only individual workers, but also their families and the broader economy. If we are to benefit from the value that older workers bring to the workforce, businesses will need to make a serious commitment to concepts like the multigenerational workforce.

COVID-19 is continuing to spread and it’s likely the incidence of age discrimination will continue to rise. This may include employers laying off older staff members and not considering older candidates when rehiring. It may also include presumptions around a person’s ability to work from home in a world of hybrid working. Fears have been circulating about older workers capacity to adapt to the technology needed to work from home effectively, but seniors are increasingly embracing technology. In another survey carried out by Australian Seniors, 84% of respondents said they are willing to consider adopting new technology and 69% feel confident they would be able to keep up with future innovations in technology. 

The benefits of older people in the workplace

Including mature-age workers in the workforce comes with a number of benefits that shouldn’t be overlooked. These include:

Experience

As well as position or industry-specific hard skills, older employees possess soft skills like maturity, wisdom, emotional intelligence, empathy and life experience. 

Diversity

All businesses benefit from the shared experiences of a diverse workforce. A mature-age worker can support younger employees to think in different ways when problem solving and typically they are happy to share their knowledge making them great leaders. 

Stability

Older workers don’t regularly ‘jump ship’ when a new opportunity comes along. They are less likely to seek new positions and they take less sick days. 

Strong networks

With decades of job experience, networks are generally well-established. Experts agree that the most connected people are often the most successful.

Reviewing workforce practices

Finding the right staff is critical to maintaining a well-skilled and productive workforce and it’s never been a better time to review your workforce practices. More needs to be done to align systems to better respond to the demographics at large. 

Increasing the participation of older workers requires overcoming existing barriers affecting their retention and recruitment. Changing your thinking around myths and misconceptions is a great place to start.