Ageism

  Ageism: It catches up with you Biased beliefs or assumptions held by others mean that our physical characteristics, for example gender, appearance, or ethnicity, have the potential to be a huge advantage or disadvantage in the workplace. One such characteristic with the potential to affect virtually all employees during their working lives is age. Ageism has been defined as “stereotypes, prejudice, or discrimination against (but also in favor of) people because of their chronological age”. While ageism can be positive or negative for an individual, ageism generally has negative connotations. The typical experience of ageism is U-shaped across the lifetime, with both the youngest and oldest workers more likely to suffer from age-based discrimination. That said, how harmful it is to be outside the optimal ‘middle age’, will vary by role, industry, and the economic environment at the time. It is often not just one’s age that matters. Intersectionality with gender, race or other char...