Weak laws and unsupportive courts can be attributed to the widespread toleration of ageism in the workplace across the US. In-Depth research has outlined the rampant issue of illegal discrimination against older workers.
The last acceptable bias in America, ageism in the workplace is extensively prevalent, as per a special report in this month’s AARP Bulletin. Experts say employees over 50 are highly prone to experiencing such biases. The report describes ageism in three main categories:
- Hiring – Companies often prefer younger candidates for open positions. Online job boards are full of illegally worded help-wanted job ads.
- On-the-job – Verbal harassment in addition to blocked advancement opportunities are common for the older generation workers. This is also because of the misperception of the digital skill sets of older workers.
- Firing – Older workers often face the flak first when it comes to firings. They are often at the receiving end of layoffs and termination due to wrong opinions about their contributions and pay scales.
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While there are numerous laws and acts in place to avoid workplace harassment and discrimination, this particular face of discrimination is often neglected by companies at large. The repost highlights that a few larger firms might have few concerns over their age-discriminatory practices because the laws that are supposed to protect workers from ageism are distinctly weaker than laws protecting against other forms of bias.
AARP is one of the largest nonprofits in the USA. It is a nonpartisan firm dedicated to empowering people aged over 50 to choose how they live as they age. AARP boasts of nearly 38 million members with a nationwide presence. Other stories in the January/February issue of AARP Bulletin comprise:
- Impact of older voters on elections 2020
- Is Your Blood Pressure Being Treated Right?
- 3 Do’s and a Don’t for 2020
- 75 Years After Auschwitz
- Fueling America’s Economic Engine
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