Prejudices are pernicious and can lead to discriminatory behaviour, or hostile ageism, on the part of employers and colleagues. As research shows, the use of controlling, condescending or infantilizing language, contempt, derogatory humour or indifference, as well as excessive authority and discipline, contribute to the marginalization of aging workers. Despite having positive stereotypes associated with older adults (e.g., reliability, stability, and loyalty), it is not uncommon for them to be assigned simple, routine, boring, or unpleasant tasks, making their work experience less satisfying. Employers may also reject qualities associated with older employees in favour of abilities mistakenly associated with younger people, such as multitasking or quick adaptability.

A host of consequences

The consequences of ageism at work include diminished psychological health and self-esteem. When their skills are devalued, older workers may even leave their jobs prematurely. When restructuring occurs, they are often the first to go. Even if they are further along in their careers, many do not feel quite ready for retirement.

Having “too many” decades of experience on a resume can make it hard to find a new job… especially since some employers associate “aging” with lower productivity, quality of work, and performance. However, no study has uncovered a direct association between age and work performance; instead, work performance appears to be more influenced by other factors, such as access to training. In addition, many employers mistakenly believe that aging workers have more work accidents and health problems and that they will bring in high absenteeism, which, once again, is more of a perception than a documented reality. As a result, when faced with candidates who possess equal skills, employers unfortunately prefer to hire younger individuals. As they start experiencing longer and longer periods of unemployment, some aging workers resign themselves to part-time or contract work. In some cases, they find themselves in situations of financial insecurity or poverty.

Since the mid-1990s, the labour market has been extending careers and delaying retirement. There is more awareness than ever before about the labour shortage in education, health care, public services, tourism, transportation and other sectors. This situation highlights the economic and social consequences of ageism in the workplace. While it is possible to collectively benefit from the experience and availability of older workers, ageist attitudes instead tend to cause their exclusion.

To overcome ageism, we must look beyond the mere economic value of older adults’ work (e.g., helping to avoid a business slowdown or a service interruption). Each individual, regardless of their age, brings to the table their own completely unique skills, knowledge, expertise and values.

Taking concrete action against ageism in the workplace can only enrich the experience of all employees at an organization. At our next coffee break, let’s take the opportunity to chat between generations!