I’ve written a number of times in the past year about how rising life expectancy is turning the workplace into a multi-generational environment, and how as people live and work for longer, it’s imperative that we tap into the wisdom of older people rather than casting them on the scrap heap.  It’s a shift that will require a significant change in mindset, as a recent study from the University of Queensland highlights how older workers are still subject to significant discrimination at work.

What’s more, the existence of age-related stereotyping in the workplace has a profound impact on the engagement and productivity levels of older workers.

“Older employees who feel they are being stereotyped because of their age report lower job satisfaction and engagement, and poorer workplace wellbeing than their younger counterparts,” the researchers explain.

Discrimination at work

The researchers quizzed nearly 300 employees ranging from 18 to 66 years of age over a five week period to determine their experience of age-based stereotyping at work.  The surveys also set out to explore their job satisfaction level, employee engagement, commitment to their employer, overall wellbeing and likelihood of quitting.  Stereotyping appeared to have an impact on them all.

“Negative age-related stereotypes exist for both younger and older workers: older employees are often characterised as technologically incompetent and resistant to change, while younger employees are often characterised as unreliable and inexperienced,” the researchers explain.

While stereotypes exist for employees of all ages, it emerged that the stereotypes were only really problematic for older workers.  Older workers were much more likely to translate the stereotyping into a negative attitude towards their work and their workplace.

“It seems that younger people see being stereotyped as a challenge they need to overcome, while older employees spend more time dwelling on it,” the authors suggest.

Given the growing presence of older people in the workforce, the researchers hope that their findings will encourage employers to take a firmer stance on this issue to ensure that key talent isn’t discouraged from playing a vital role in the labor market.