Ageism
Ageism – what is it and how does it manifest itself at work?
The term “ageism” was introduced in 1969 by Robert Butler – an American geriatrician, psychiatrist and gerontologist, the first head of the National Institute on Aging. He described it as the systematic creation of stereotypes and discrimination against people on the basis of age. For decades, older people have been seen as authorities based on experience, but in the last half-century there has been a clear change.
In the workplace, the phenomenon of ageism manifests itself in particular in prejudice against older workers, but it can affect people of all ages. Stereotypes about age are common, e.g. that older people are less productive, less productive, or “less important” in team dynamics. Younger people, on the other hand, are sometimes considered inexperienced, reckless or unreliable.
In the labour market and in the recruitment process, this means that candidates can become victims of discrimination solely on the basis of belonging to a certain age group. In a dynamically changing business environment, some employers assign greater flexibility to younger candidates and build “young, dynamic teams”, which is sometimes tantamount to omitting experienced people, despite their professional qualifications and competences.
Ageism in the labor market
Ageism on the labour market in Poland has a special dimension. We are facing a shortage of workers and yet many older workers are struggling to find a job or maintain their current employment conditions. Their access to vocational training in order to improve their professional qualifications is often restricted. They are also often employed part-time, which weakens their position and reinforces their feeling of a worse position on the labour market.
According to the report of the Polish Economic Institute “Ageism in Poland – a summary of an experimental field study”, job candidates under the age of 30 received an invitation to an interview on average twice as often as people over 50 years of age. A particularly strong phenomenon of ageism on the Polish labour market was noted in Warsaw – here younger employees had a chance to have up to four times more conversations than their older competitors.
It is worth noting that the Labour Code and the labour law formally protect against discrimination, but the phenomenon of ageism still remains a problem, also in the area of public space, in private relations and in social life.
Forms of discrimination and consequences of ageism
Ageism is one of the forms of discrimination, along with prejudice based on ethnicity, sexual orientation or political beliefs. It can be combined with other premises and cause discrimination, e.g. against older people who also belong to marginalized social groups or have a certain trade union membership.
The effects of ageism are serious. For an individual, they mean lack of development, isolation or pushing out of the labor market. In extreme cases, the lack of opportunities for professional activity leads to marginalization, depression and even premature death of the person. For an organization, neglecting the needs of people of different ages means losing an employee, the value they bring to the company, their experience, soft skills that are crucial in teamwork and knowledge management.
Counteracting ageism
Counteracting ageism requires systemic and educational actions. There is a need to combat ageism by promoting equality, access to innovative projects, programs that integrate different age groups and building public awareness that everyone, regardless of age, should be treated equally.
Polish law imposes on employers the obligation to treat persons equally, inter alia, in terms of establishing and terminating an employment relationship, as well as working conditions and promotion. Gender equality is also legally guaranteed, discrimination on the basis of appearance, nationality, sexual orientation or religion is prohibited. If employee rights have been violated, a complaint should be filed with the National Labour Inspectorate.
Ageism at work is not just a matter of individuals, it is a challenge for the entire organization and society. Age discrimination limits people’s potential, leads to wasted talent and weakens team cohesion. The modern approach to HR and management should assume that employees of different ages are equally valuable and that at any age it is possible to develop competencies and make a unique contribution to the company’s success. Companies that focus on development should take care of the participation of employees in training and the possibility of mentoring – so that older and younger people can support each other in development.
