Age discrimination the new sexism

DISCRIMINATORY BEHAVIOUR towards older workers could replace sexual discrimination as one of the most critical workplace issues of the current generation, according to research into the key implications of Australia’s rapidly ageing population.

As the Australian population ages and economic pressures mean more people will have to work later in their lives, the research highlighted the fact that employers and society in general hold inaccurate perceptions about the capability of older workers.

Conducted by Hudson, the research paper stated that “young people tend to associate ageing with disability, dependency or irrelevancy” and that “older people… through a lack of effective interaction with younger people, adopt self-protection strategies”– effectively isolating themselves from the rest of the workforce.

The Ageing Population: Implications for the Australian Workforce research paper also found that the impact of age discrimination in the workplace is more than just a cultural or social issue, and underscored the potential financial implications of a workforce blighted by ageism through reduced teamwork and failed cross-organisational cooperation.

Moreover, negative attitudes towards older workers may prevent organisations from harnessing the knowledge and skills that older workers have to offer, eventually constraining organisational success.

“Just as organisations put in place strategies and policies to address sexism in the workplace, employers must consider the same in the near future in order to prevent age discrimination from gaining a foothold and creating a divide amongst employees,” said Anne Hatton, CEO of Hudson Australasia.

She said employers must start to take the issue of ageism seriously, if they are to avoid potential litigation and other associated costs to the business.

With the recent passing of legislation on age discrimination, she added that the federal government was sending a loud and clear message that that employees who feel they are being discriminated against on the basis of age now have recourse to the courts.

“By exposing themselves to the risk of losing intellectual capital, organisations are potentially surrendering competitive advantage and seriously constraining their capacity to meet stakeholder obligations. And finally there is the risk of a damaged reputation if employment practices are deemed discriminatory,” she said.

“A failure to address ageism may also lead to the loss of irreplaceable experience and skills that older workers can bring to an organisation, which will have a direct and marked impact on the bottom line of the business.”

While the research found that a well-implemented ageing strategy improves morale, teamwork, cooperation and productivity, it also cautioned against policy approaches that aren’t carefully framed to avoid stigmatisation of older workers.

“Maximising human capital across all generations is best achieved through strategies that do not isolate younger workers, nor impose obligations on older workers who don’t have the health or desire to continue in the workforce at the level they once did,” said Hatton.

“Adopting an ‘us and them’ policy will only make matters worse. What is needed is an integrated and balanced policy approach that meets the needs of both work and life in the modern era.”

The research paper identified a number of HR practices for combating ageism, such as restructuring work practices to accommodate emerging population trends, training workforces to enhance the organisational skillset and training managers in age management strategies and age discrimination.

However, such practices are often dependent on a number of factors, such as backing from senior management, financial backing from an organisation and commitment and flexibility from ageing workers.

“Business and government in Australia can no longer afford to discard the most loyal, committed and experienced element of its workforce,” said Hatton.