{"id":4861,"date":"2021-01-14T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-01-14T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sonusbenefits.com\/kicking-ageism-out-of-your-workplace\/"},"modified":"2021-02-12T15:44:00","modified_gmt":"2021-02-12T15:44:00","slug":"kicking-ageism-out-of-your-workplace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonusbenefits.com\/kicking-ageism-out-of-your-workplace\/","title":{"rendered":"Kicking Ageism Out of Your Workplace"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ageism is an established problem HR departments battle. Laws and organizations have been founded upon the need to protect workers from ageist practices. A report by Glassdoor<\/a> in 2019 found nearly half of respondents in the US had witnessed or experienced ageism in the workplace. It also found that younger employees, aged 18-34, were more likely to witness or experience some form of discrimination in the workplace. In the UK, for example, 48% of adults (aged 18-34) experienced ageism in the workplace, in contrast with 25% of employees aged 55+.<\/p>\n

You might be thinking, “Wait, I thought ageism was about older employees?”<\/p>\n

Here’s the deal.<\/p>\n

Ageism is<\/em> about senior employees, but it also encompasses young employees. It’s as easy to assume an older employee won’t know how to use new technology as it is to assume a younger employee can’t handle the responsibility of important work.<\/p>\n

To protect your workplace from ageist policies, attitudes, and culture, take these steps.<\/p>\n

Use your words carefully<\/h3>\n

A lot can be conveyed by how we talk to one another. What feels like harmless turns of phrase can make a considerable impression and convey held biases we may not be aware of. For instance, referring to a younger employee as a “kid” can mean you view them as a child. Think about what you’re saying and why you’re saying it. Words conveying a dismissive, slighting, or negative connotation can pop into our vocabulary without much thought but can do serious harm<\/a> to an employee’s experience.<\/p>\n

Think before you ask<\/h3>\n

One incredibly unprofessional, but common experience young employees have is to be given irrelevant tasks. For instance, an employee in their twenties just out of grad school gets called into their boss’s office. Instead of getting a real assignment, they\u2019re asked to pick up the boss’s cat and take it to the vet. Oh, and while they’re at it, pick up some cat food from a store across town.<\/p>\n

Passing off personal tasks to young employees, often with the title of Assistant, is unfortunately all too common. These behaviors show a lack of respect for the employee’s experience, skillset, time, and contribution.<\/p>\n

Review your demographics<\/h3>\n

One way to spot ageism in your workplace is to evaluate the demographics of the people on your team. For instance:<\/p>\n