By the year 2005, individuals who are age 50 and over will make up 25 percent of the work force. As the workforce continues to age, discriminatory practices will tend to take on new meaning. Often, younger workers may not even realize that what they are doing can be deemed discriminatory. For example, the following are examples of activities that may now be considered discriminatory based on one’s age:
- Making an older worker to choose between a layoff without health benefits and little chance or recall and early retirement.
- Using financial incentives to lure older workers into retirement, regardless of their performance.
- Re-deploying younger workers during times of layoffs and reorganization, while eliminating older ones.
- Failing to offer older workers the same flexible work options that are available to younger workers.
- Denying benefits to older workers.
- Hiring younger workers to assume key responsibilities because the employer assumes the older worker will retire.
- Failing to offer older workers equal job-related training and career development opportunities.
- Leaving older workers out of key corporate activities.
Source: AlignMark, Maitland, FL, January 5, 1999