scholarly journals Differential Treatment of Older Workers Due to COVID-19: Potential for Ageism and Age Discrimination at Work

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 443-443
Author(s):  
Lisa Hollis-Sawyer
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Age Discrimination ◽  
Differential Treatment ◽  
Older Worker ◽  
Workplace Engagement ◽  
Older Employees ◽  
Workplace Policies ◽  
Discrimination In Employment ◽  
Attendance Policies

Abstract This paper examines the implications of employers' current COVID-19 protective workplace attendance policies toward older workers, potentially creating the outcomes of increased numbers of involuntary retirees and the discouraged older worker syndrome among otherwise qualified older workforce participants. How potential ageist assumptions and age discrimination under COVID-19 affect workplace decisions in reflection on the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (1967) guidelines is discussed. Older workers may remain in the workforce longer than ever before due to having healthier life expectancies. Workplace policies need to be increasingly sensitive to older employees’ rights to sustain their workplace engagement (Cummins, 2014; Cummins, Harootyan, & Kunkel, 2015). The author reviewed current unemployment trends in 2020 and emerging litigation in reflection upon general issues of COVID-19 related age discrimination in the older workers' workplace attendance decisions by employers and the historical framework of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (1967, with significant amendments in 1978 and 1986). The policy analysis paper presents the implications of employers' COVID-19 protective policies on older workers and how it may affect the “health” of the workplace and older adults and the economy beyond the pandemic. Lastly, strategies to address an "age-friendly" workplace during a pandemic and post-pandemic are discussed.

scholarly journals Differential Treatment of Older Workers Due to COVID-19 Accommodations: Potential Issues of Ageism and Age Discrimination

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Age Discrimination ◽  
Differential Treatment ◽  
Older Worker ◽  
Workplace Engagement ◽  
Older Employees ◽  
Workplace Policies ◽  
Discrimination In Employment ◽  
Attendance Policies

This paper examines the implications of employers’ current COVID-19 protective workplace attendance policies toward older workers, potentially creating the outcomes of increased numbers of involuntary retirees and the discouraged older worker syndrome among otherwise qualified older workforce participants. How potential ageist assumptions and age discrimination under COVID-19 affect workplace decisions in reflection on the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (1967) guidelines is discussed. Older workers may remain in the workforce longer than ever before due to having extended life expectancies. Workplace policies need to be increasingly sensitive to older employees’ rights to sustain their workplace engagement (Cummins, 2014; Cummins, Harootyan, & Kunkel, 2015). The author reviewed current unemployment trends in 2020 and emerging litigation in reflection upon general issues of COVID-19 related age discrimination. Specifically, older workers’ workplace attendance decisions by employers were analyzed within the historical framework of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (1967 significant amendments in 1978 and 1986). The policy analysis paper presents the implications of employers’ COVID-19 protective policies on older workers and how it may affect the “health” of the workplace and older adults and the economy beyond the pandemic. Lastly, strategies to address an “age-friendly” workplace during a pandemic and post-pandemic are discussed.

scholarly journals Ageism and employment: controversies, ambiguities and younger people's perceptions

2000 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 279-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
WENDY LORETTO ◽  
COLIN DUNCAN ◽  
PHIL J. WHITE
Keyword(s):  
Older Workers ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
Age Discrimination ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Negative Stereotypes ◽  
Business Studies ◽  
Older Employees ◽  
Discrimination In Employment ◽  
The Uk

This paper traces the emergence and evolution of the concept of ageism with respect to employment matters in the UK, and challenges some features of the emerging concept as defective and undermining of efforts to eradicate age discrimination in employment. Also revealed is some loosening in recent years of the association of the term ‘ageism’ with older employees. This latter observation informed the focus of our empirical work, which examined the views of 460 Business Studies students concerning age and employment. A significant proportion had experienced ageism directly in employment, and a large majority favoured the introduction of legislative protection against age discrimination, with blanket coverage irrespective of age. Though negative stereotypes regarding older workers were by no means uncommon among the sample, little firm evidence emerged of intergenerational tensions or resentment towards older people. The concluding section considers the policy implications of our findings, including the relative merits of weighting policy responses towards older employees. It is argued that initiatives restricted in this way, and further constrained by commercial imperatives and macro-economic objectives, are likely to prove divisive and self-defeating as a means of combating ageism.

It’s Time to Retire Ageism against Older Workers

2021 ◽  
Vol 90 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-168
Author(s):  
Raza M. Mirza ◽  
Lynn Mcdonald ◽  
Laura Tamblyn-Watts
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older People ◽  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Intergenerational Relationships ◽  
Workplace Diversity ◽  
Institutional Practices ◽  
Workplace Policies ◽  
The Right ◽  
The City

Ageism in the workplace can have significant implications for older adults. While every individual should feel equal and have the right to employment free from discrimination due to age, many practices and policies do not appear to uphold this right in the labour market. Institutional practices and policies seem to perpetuate stereotypes about older people. A “pro-aging” campaign to raise awareness about ageism in the workplace was run in the City of Toronto in 2019. The campaign included posters and pop-up advertising of a fake aging cream and research on attitudes toward aging and understanding the “too old” narrative as part of inclusive workplace policies. Workplace diversity policies often do not include age considerations, and understanding the factors that lead to ageism may allow for the development of strategies to help combat it. Age-diverse workplaces may gain competitive advantage by learning to harness the power of intergenerational relationships.

scholarly journals Digital Health Coaching Programs Among Older Employees in Transition to Retirement: Systematic Literature Review

10.2196/17809 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
pp. e17809 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vera Stara ◽  
Sara Santini ◽  
Johannes Kropf ◽  
Barbara D'Amen
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Coaching ◽  
User Centered Design ◽  
Older Employees ◽  
User Centered

Background The rapid increase of the aging population is pushing many national governments to reshape retirement legislation in order to extend older adults’ working life. Once retired, older adults can be invaluable resources for the community as family carers, as volunteers, or by returning to work. Healthy aging is one of the main conditions for being able to work longer and being active after retirement. The latter, indeed, represents a very sensitive life transition, which can entail psychological and social difficulties. Interventions for promoting older workers’ health and well-being and supporting the transition to retirement are on the top of the policy agenda of most European countries. Recently, computer-based and digital health interventions have been seen as promising means to reach this purpose. Objective This systematic literature review aimed to explore studies on digital health coaching programs for older workers that followed a user-centered design approach and evaluated their effectiveness in providing older adults with guidance for adopting a healthy lifestyle and being active in the community. Methods The search identified 1931 papers, and 2 relevant articles were selected by applying specific eligibility criteria. Results To our knowledge, only few digital health coaching programs have targeted the population of older workers to date; there is an insufficient number of studies on the efficacy of such programs. The results show the difficulties of assessing the efficacy of digital coaching itself and with respect to older employees. The 2 studies suggest that digital health programs for workplaces can improve various aspects of older employees’ well-being; however, they considered health mainly from a physical perspective and neglected contextual, social, psychological, and cultural factors that can influence older workers’ health and general well-being. Future digital health coaching programs should adopt the healthy aging paradigm as a multidimensional lens for interpreting the impact of eHealth technology on aging and retirement. The literature around this issue remains at an embryonic state, and this gap needs to be filled by further investigations that apply a user-centered approach for designing the technology, test innovative research methodologies, and adopt new technical solutions for high-quality interaction design. Conclusions Further digital health coaching programs aimed at supporting healthy and active living for older workers and retirees are necessary. The user-centered design approach is recommended in order to fully address the users’ health needs and the technological requirements throughout development. Moreover, the healthy aging perspective allows inclusion of physical, social, and psychological factors influencing the transition from work to retirement, as well as the experiences and interactions of individuals with the technology.

scholarly journals Age discrimination in the workplace

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Davey
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Older People ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Age Discrimination ◽  
Stereotyped Attitudes ◽  
Survey Report ◽  
Discrimination In Employment ◽  
Mature Workers

Age discrimination is often cited as a barrier to participation in work by older people, and the workplace provides the most common grounds for complaints of this nature. Age discrimination predominantly affects older rather than younger groups (although the latter are not exempt), and is often based on myths and stereotyped attitudes about older people and older workers which can be easily refuted (Davey, 2007; Alpass and Mortimer, 2007; Gray and McGregor, 2003). Age discrimination as an issue in the workplace is not new. It was well documented in Janice Burns’ literature review on mature workers for the Department of Work and Income in 2001 (Burns, 2001) and by Justina Murray in her review of age discrimination in employment, commissioned by the New Zealand Human Rights Commission in 2002 (Murray, 2002). In 2006 the EEO Trust’s Work and Age Survey Report showed that 31% of respondents had experienced age discrimination at work (EEO Trust, 2006).

scholarly journals Digital Health Coaching Programs Among Older Employees in Transition to Retirement: Systematic Literature Review (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vera Stara ◽  
Sara Santini ◽  
Johannes Kropf ◽  
Barbara D'Amen
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Coaching ◽  
User Centered Design ◽  
Older Employees ◽  
User Centered

BACKGROUND The rapid increase of the aging population is pushing many national governments to reshape retirement legislation in order to extend older adults’ working life. Once retired, older adults can be invaluable resources for the community as family carers, as volunteers, or by returning to work. Healthy aging is one of the main conditions for being able to work longer and being active after retirement. The latter, indeed, represents a very sensitive life transition, which can entail psychological and social difficulties. Interventions for promoting older workers’ health and well-being and supporting the transition to retirement are on the top of the policy agenda of most European countries. Recently, computer-based and digital health interventions have been seen as promising means to reach this purpose. OBJECTIVE This systematic literature review aimed to explore studies on digital health coaching programs for older workers that followed a user-centered design approach and evaluated their effectiveness in providing older adults with guidance for adopting a healthy lifestyle and being active in the community. METHODS The search identified 1931 papers, and 2 relevant articles were selected by applying specific eligibility criteria. RESULTS To our knowledge, only few digital health coaching programs have targeted the population of older workers to date; there is an insufficient number of studies on the efficacy of such programs. The results show the difficulties of assessing the efficacy of digital coaching itself and with respect to older employees. The 2 studies suggest that digital health programs for workplaces can improve various aspects of older employees’ well-being; however, they considered health mainly from a physical perspective and neglected contextual, social, psychological, and cultural factors that can influence older workers’ health and general well-being. Future digital health coaching programs should adopt the healthy aging paradigm as a multidimensional lens for interpreting the impact of eHealth technology on aging and retirement. The literature around this issue remains at an embryonic state, and this gap needs to be filled by further investigations that apply a user-centered approach for designing the technology, test innovative research methodologies, and adopt new technical solutions for high-quality interaction design. CONCLUSIONS Further digital health coaching programs aimed at supporting healthy and active living for older workers and retirees are necessary. The user-centered design approach is recommended in order to fully address the users’ health needs and the technological requirements throughout development. Moreover, the healthy aging perspective allows inclusion of physical, social, and psychological factors influencing the transition from work to retirement, as well as the experiences and interactions of individuals with the technology.

scholarly journals Age Discrimination and Perceived Work Ability: The Mediating Effect of Self-Efficacy

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 1032-1032
Author(s):  
Hyun Kang ◽  
Hansol Kim
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Work Ability ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Age Discrimination ◽  
Productive Aging ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Perceived Work Ability ◽  
Low Levels

Abstract As the number of older workers in the U.S. workforce increases, perceived work ability, which indicates a worker’s capacity to perform job-related tasks or to remain employed, becomes increasingly important. However, age discrimination may undermine the ability of older adults to remain active in the workplace as it poses a significant barrier to their work ability. The purpose of this study was to examine how age discrimination affects perceived work ability among older workers. We also evaluated the role of self-efficacy as a potential mediator between age discrimination and perceived work ability. Self-efficacy can contribute to older adults’ productive aging since it helps them view age-related situations more positively. Using 2,011 respondents (aged 50+) data from the 2018 Health and Retirement Study, structural equation modeling analysis was conducted. Our findings indicated that age discrimination had a direct negative effect on perceived work ability (B = -.230, p < .001). Older workers who experienced more age discrimination were more likely to have low levels of perceived work ability. The indirect effect of self-efficacy (B = -.177; 95% CI = -.240, -.135) was significant. Older workers who experienced more age discrimination were more likely to have low levels of self-efficacy, and this relationship led to lower levels of perceived work ability. These results suggest that greater efforts are required to reduce age discrimination and its negative consequence on perceived work ability and self-efficacy among older workers. Furthermore, age discrimination laws should be more explicitly enforced in the policy direction for older workers.

Ageism in the Workplace

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Brownell
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Human Resource Managers ◽  
Employee Assistance ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Assistance Programs ◽  
Resource Managers ◽  
Discrimination In Employment

Older workers make important contributions to the workplace, its productivity, and its culture. Work remains important for older adults for financial security, to give meaning to later life, to maintain social networks, and to promote lifelong learning. However, ageist beliefs about the capacity of older adults to remain productive and contributing workers in the workforce can create barriers for older workers. Understanding how older workers experience ageist behavior in the workplace can help employers, policy makers, and social workers learn more about how to address this social problem. Organizations can become more age friendly through enabling workplace programs, supportive management, and proactive human resource managers. Social workers serving older adults in employee assistance programs and in private practice can help them to challenge ageism in the workplace. Finally, legislation such as the Age Discrimination in Employment Act protects the rights of older workers; however, more legislation is needed to address bullying and harassment of older adults in the workplace.

scholarly journals Correction: Digital Health Coaching Programs Among Older Employees in Transition to Retirement: Systematic Literature Review (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vera Stara ◽  
Sara Santini ◽  
Johannes Kropf ◽  
Barbara D'Amen
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Coaching ◽  
User Centered Design ◽  
Older Employees ◽  
User Centered

UNSTRUCTURED The rapid increase of the aging population is pushing many national governments to reshape retirement legislation in order to extend older adults’ working life. Once retired, older adults can be invaluable resources for the community as family carers, as volunteers, or by returning to work. Healthy aging is one of the main conditions for being able to work longer and being active after retirement. The latter, indeed, represents a very sensitive life transition, which can entail psychological and social difficulties. Interventions for promoting older workers’ health and well-being and supporting the transition to retirement are on the top of the policy agenda of most European countries. Recently, computer-based and digital health interventions have been seen as promising means to reach this purpose. This systematic literature review aimed to explore studies on digital health coaching programs for older workers that followed a user-centered design approach and evaluated their effectiveness in providing older adults with guidance for adopting a healthy lifestyle and being active in the community. The search identified 1931 papers, and 2 relevant articles were selected by applying specific eligibility criteria. To our knowledge, only few digital health coaching programs have targeted the population of older workers to date; there is an insufficient number of studies on the efficacy of such programs. The results show the difficulties of assessing the efficacy of digital coaching itself and with respect to older employees. The 2 studies suggest that digital health programs for workplaces can improve various aspects of older employees’ well-being; however, they considered health mainly from a physical perspective and neglected contextual, social, psychological, and cultural factors that can influence older workers’ health and general well-being. Future digital health coaching programs should adopt the healthy aging paradigm as a multidimensional lens for interpreting the impact of eHealth technology on aging and retirement. The literature around this issue remains at an embryonic state, and this gap needs to be filled by further investigations that apply a user-centered approach for designing the technology, test innovative research methodologies, and adopt new technical solutions for high-quality interaction design. Further digital health coaching programs aimed at supporting healthy and active living for older workers and retirees are necessary. The user-centered design approach is recommended in order to fully address the users’ health needs and the technological requirements throughout development. Moreover, the healthy aging perspective allows inclusion of physical, social, and psychological factors influencing the transition from work to retirement, as well as the experiences and interactions of individuals with the technology. J Med Internet Res 2020;22(9):e17809

scholarly journals Attitudes Toward Older Workers and Human Resource Practices

2008 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annette Kluge ◽  
Franciska Krings
Keyword(s):  
Human Resource ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Age Discrimination ◽  
Personnel Development ◽  
Organizational Practices ◽  
Similar Extent ◽  
Older Employees ◽  
Hr Practices ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Perceived Age

This study investigated attitudes towards older employees, perceived age discrimination, and HR practices (personnel development and reward) in 240 employees. Attitudes toward older employees were largely positive, thus supporting the notion that attitudes toward older employees are becoming increasingly positive. Older employees’ attitudes towards older employees were more positive, but younger employees’ attitudes were still favorable. Moreover, older and younger employees reported benefiting from HR measures, such as training, to a similar extent. Also, older employees did not feel more discriminated against than younger employees did, indicating that employees’ attitudes were in line with HR practices. Nevertheless, some results suggested that HR practices preferred younger to older employees, indicating that in some domains of personnel development and reward, positive attitudes toward older employees do not necessarily parallel organizational practices.

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