People today, are living in a unique environment as different generations co-exist together in the workforce. There are people born in the 60s and 90s or 2000s working side by side. The ageing population results in an ageing workforce and is only going to increase in the future. Is everything is the same as it seems? Probably not. Ageism (age discrimination) can be seen everywhere in the world and is becoming more and more common. You can also observe increasing age discrimination in the workplace singapore (one of the most quickly ageing populations). This comes as no surprise in the current scenario.
What is ageism?
Before going any further, you must know what ageism is. At the core, age discrimination means an employee getting unfair treatment based on their age. It can be of four types, including:
- Direct discrimination
It is done directly. For instance, when an older employee doesn’t get invited to any party or industry conference.
- Indirect discrimination
This kind of discrimination can be observed when certain policies debar or exclude only the older people in the workplace.
- Age harassment
It is very real in workplaces today. Older employees suffer it regularly – if they do not get to use the latest technologies because of their age.
Signs of ageism
There are various signs you can detect age discrimination in the workplace Singapore. Some of them are the following:
- Firing older employees
There is no harm in firing an employee but when it’s done to target older employees, it is unfair. If you see getting them fired for hiring the younger generation, there is age discrimination.
- Ageist commentary
An ageist shows his attitude by making comments on the older employees of an organization. The commentary makes the employees feel uncomfortable and unwanted.
- Becoming isolated
Isolation at the workplace is often related to discrimination due to age. Older employees may feel unwelcome and isolated at the workplace. It becomes difficult to relate to their co-workers.
- No promotions
Employers may move past the older employees while promoting the employees.
Eradicating workplace discrimination
As the retirement age is increasing, it is only natural that the proportion of older employees will also rise. Mature employees are an asset to an organization as they bring experience and knowledge with them, which complements the technology used by the younger generation. Both generations work in perfect harmony to get the best results.
Keeping ageism out of the workplace is not impossible. It can be done by spreading awareness, reverse mentoring, and introducing hybrid workgroups. It is in the interest of the business to mitigate such effects to build an inclusive space.
