When people hear the term, “age discrimination,” they often immediately think of people who have been victims of this type of mistreatment in the workplace. While ageism does definitely affect those, who have been singled out, what may come as a surprise to many is how age discrimination in Washington can affect organizations at a critical level outside of the individual who is being targeted.
In a recent survey that was conducted, it was found that multiple people who had been victims of discriminatory behavior related to their age, felt the effects of this mistreatment on the overall trajectory of their career. Experts who have researched the topic feel that enhanced efforts to provide training about discrimination and how to prevent it would do a great deal in helping people to better recognize when mistreatment is occurring within their organization.
Often, incidents of age discrimination in the workplace go unreported because they are not noticed by anyone. Better training may be able to provide employees with examples of discriminatory behavior that they can reference in helping to prevent mistreatment in their place of employment. With proper training, discrimination can be reported more efficiently before it gets out of hand. Interestingly, evidence also suggests that people who witness age discrimination in the workplace may be less likely to be motivated to maintain their job past a certain age. As such, discriminatory behavior can hinder organizational progress and be damaging to success.
If people have been the victims of discrimination directed toward their age, they may be eligible for compensation. An attorney can facilitate this process by gathering evidence to show how specific behaviors were in violation of laws designed to protect older workers.
Source:Â Fast Company, “The insidious effects of ageism in the workplace,” Jared Lindzon, Sept. 3, 2019