Its a number and its unlisted
Ageism in the workplace
Payouts resulting from age discrimination lawsuits are larger than those from sex and race discrimination. It has also been predicted that by 2020 that just over 39% of the workforce will be over the age of 55. (Rupp, 2006) The world of political correctness this seems to have left this one somewhat behind. Its a fine line that companies try to walk. There is of course a bottom line to worry about. If you can get someone to perform the same work for considerably less money, why not? There is a tremendous amount of evidence showing that older workers receive lower ratings from their managers despite being as productive. (Rupp, 2006) In fact there is substantial evidence that older workers are more reliable and productive, and are less prone to turnover than are younger workers.One study found that a sample of organizations staffed exclusivelyat least 50 years of age had profits that were 18% higher, turnover that was 16% lower, 40% less absenteeism, and 60% less inventory loss compared with similar organizations staffed with younger
employees. (Rupp, pp 1339)
When I consider the company I work for there is certainly some anecdotal examples of older folks being scrutinized and subsequently "retiring". Since I have been there I have seen the retirement age move from 65 to 50, with 15 years of service. To me this is a clear message that this is considered a young persons game. While having the option to step out while still fairly young has its advantages, it sets a tone for the performance of those workers in that age group. If a person is planning on moving on or feels they have hit the proverbial wall in their career, why not just do enough to get by? It is here that things get a little slippery. You could say that no matter what the persons age is. When people find out how old I am they tend to say "oh well you don't look that old" I realize its supposed to play as a compliment. Is it though? I am hearing "wow I have nothing else to say so I will say you don't look that old" I get it, the age I am is considered old.
When an older worker trains a younger one and subsequently becomes their boss it is hard to put a positive spin on it. Did that person interview so well that they trumped 20 years of experience? Most likely they trumped 20 years of hard work and the raises that went with it.
- ReferencesRupp, D. E., Vodanovich, S. J., & Credé, M. (2006). Age Bias in the Workplace: The Impact of Ageism and Causal Attributions. Journal Of Applied Social Psychology, 36(6), 1337-1364. doi:10.1111/j.0021-9029.2006.00062.x
Ed, I see something similar where I work, too. Especially now that the company I work for is going through a pretty big transition, and jobs are being elimitated, I hear "well how old is she? She could just retire."
ReplyDeleteEd, if it's any consolation, I really don't think you're old! However, I agree with what you are saying, although in my line of work, it is different in a way- retail is blatantly and almost exclusively a young person's game (don't worry we exclude lots of people though). I do find it sad however that once we graduate, it is likely that I will go to work for a company and get a job over someone else because I am young, not because I am more qualified. From what I understand, that isn't how things used to work.
ReplyDeleteI will be getting out in the workforce with a career when I am 45-46 years old.....hope I find a job I want!
ReplyDeleteI was just dealing with a relative dilemma. I needed to hire a new piano teacher in a pinch and realizing how much chemistry plays a part, I had to consider age as a factor. The former piano teacher who left is in his mid-twenties. Most of the students are young and can relate easier to a more youthful teacher. Nevertheless, It still bothered me. I suppose it really is more of a requirement than discrimination.
ReplyDeleteEd I completely agree with ageism and that it exists alot in our society. My father actually just experienced this with his last company. He was hired as a manager and was looking to move up in the latter to a higher level manager. He soon found out that this company would consistantly hire people in their 20's for less money. Although my dad had much more experience statistcal proof they he was exceeding in his position, he was still somehow overlooked. Companies need to focus more on quality employees rather than how much money they can save. If were smart they would realize that better employees could potentially lead to a greater profit. A more proactive way to increase sales.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing, but in my company, anyone is subject to the chopping block. Actually, one of my coworkers who has been with the company since it began, she is in her early sixties, was instead of being fired, relegated to a meaningless position working in a department that was essentially created to justify keeping her on. We all suspected this was because of her connections in the industry, and the company wanted to "save face". Her previous position was replaced by a much younger woman with much less experience. This is certainly something that I DO see occurring in my line of work quite frequently, instead of forced retirement, or preferential hiring of younger employees. Like I said, I'm not sure if its a good thing or a bad thing though....
ReplyDeleteSo many of the adult students I have taught have seen young people with a degree and zero experience come into their job place, such as a bank, and then the student who is older with no degree is asked to TRAIN the younger person who then as Ed says, often becomes their supervisor. Often it has to do with the degree AND that they can pay a younger person so much less. It is humiliating. I had a student with 20 years at a bank who trained so many people and watched them rise and rise; at 50 she finally obtained her degree and with it a big promotion and pay raise:)
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