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

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.

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

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.

Absent on Absenteeism: Academic Silence on Student Absenteeism in Canadian Education

Despite mandatory school attendance policies, many students in Canada are frequently absent from school. Absenteeism is linked to numerous negative educational outcomes and is a growing educational issue internationally. This has lead universities in many countries to study the factors associated with absenteeism in order to reduce it. However, the Canadian educational discourse is largely absent on absenteeism. A review of faculty profiles revealed that no Canadian educational scholar investigates absenteeism as their primary area of research. The lack of empirical knowledge concerning student absenteeism is a contributing factor to the high levels of absenteeism evident in Canada. This article serves as a call to action for Canadian academics to research student absenteeism in order to alleviate the behaviour. Keywords: school attendance, student absenteeism, truancy, school refusal, school anxiety, school withdrawal

Impact of absenteeism on academic performance under compulsory attendance policies in first to fifth year university students

Since the implementation of the European Higher Education Area, universities have been obliged to implement continuous assessment systems that require a high degree of attendance by students. Using recorded data, from year 1 to year 5, of 694 students of a European university, where attendance is mandatory, the main objective of this research is to analyse to what extent absenteeism affects performance across the years of degree study. The investigation found a decreasing effect. In addition, a cluster analysis was done to find out if the compulsory attendance policy impacts all students equally. Three different behavioural styles were found: those who attend regularly, students who manage their number of absences to comply with attendance rules, who are the real targets the policy, and a third group with a high number of absences not affected by the policy. These findings identify the groups of students who benefit most from adequate attendance.

Influence of Attendance Policy Implementation on Faculty Absenteeism: Issues and Prospects for Policy Upgrade

The study investigated if faculty absenteeism is influenced by the extent of policy implementation on attendance monitoring, reporting, and usage of records. Through the use of Focus Group Discussion, it also determined the issues and prospects surrounding the policy and its implementation, in an attempt to generate inputs for upgrading the attendance policies and procedures in a technological university operating in Quezon City and Manila City in the Philippines. Respondents of the study were comprised of faculty members, attendance checkers, academic heads, and Human Resource Department staff of the said institution. The results revealed that faculty absenteeism is not influenced by the extent of implementing the policy on attendance monitoring, reporting and usage of record. The study also discovered some policy issues such as uncommitted attendance checkers, improper and inconsistent attendance remarks, lenient implementation of the attendance monitoring policy, and lack of coordination among concerned departments.

Faculty Perceptions Of Attendance Policy In An AACSB School

The issue of attendance policies has been studied by higher education professionals for nearly a century. Prior research has shown a strong statistical link between class attendance and student grades. The aim of our research project is to gauge the attitudes and policies of business school professors in an AACSB accredited school on this topic. An online survey was conducted during the early Fall 2018 semester. Results suggest the vast majority of respondents institute an attendance policy in their classes. Respondents taught courses at both the graduate and undergraduate levels and are a diverse set of faculty as indicated by academic rank, age, gender and level of education.