Six Practical Steps to Avoid Age Discrimination in the Workplace (Part 1)
The word “discrimination” has what seems like conflicting definitions. It can mean the unjust or prejudicial treatment of people on grounds such as their age. But it can also mean having the ability to exercise good judgement and taste. If one considers that engaging in discrimination based on older age reflects both prejudicial treatment and bad judgement, then the definitions can be easily reconciled.
The following are three practical tips on showing good judgement by preventing age discrimination in the workplace. A few more suggestions will be addressed in the next blog. More detailed discussions regarding legislative and regulatory requirements are left for another time (though the tips will help to meet such obligations).
The aim is to enhance everyone’s experience in the workplace. The increase in the average age of the overall workforce makes age discrimination a critical issue for most organizations. Since aging is inevitable, younger employees also have a stake in the matter. Young workers may also have parents or other people in their life who are dealing with getting older while still working. (The issue of discrimination based on youth, while possibly less of a problem in the workplace, is something that may be considered in a future article). Read more