Prejudice and Biases in the Workplace
Twenty-nine and holding, that's all there is to it! You don't have to worry about employers discriminating against you for your age because the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has a law that protects you from missing a prime opportunity to get or keep the job of your dreams, even if you are over 40 years old.
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA for short) must be adhered to by companies with 20 or more employees, labor organizations, and government agencies. As is customary, it must be posted in plain view, allowing employees to read it at will. The law applies to applicants and employees alike, preventing prospective bosses from replacing older employees with younger ones.
The ADEA law was written in 1967 to help older workers retain their positions, and receive the respect they have earned for years of service. At that time, the perception of age was much different than it is today. People were considered old by the time they were 70, and mid life began shortly after having kids in your 20's.
Today, experience and maturation is weighed heavily against youth. The culture has changed, as many retirees are reentering the workforce to continue paying their bills. It appears the ADEA may be outdated, however it is still viable.
One of the big concerns about the ADEA is that employers have to hire people based on criteria not related to the job. While age must be considered, and therefore health issues related to age not discriminated against, ability must be neglected at times to prevent criminal neglect of the law.
Young people who are highly productive must combat their frustration when dealing with older employees who move a little slower, or take a little longer to train on today's newest gadgets. They must learn to cooperate with people of all ages, since age cannot be a factor in the hiring or promotion process.
It is a very positive thing to have people overcoming biases and prejudices in the work place. It doesn't matter why they must learn to face uncomfortable situations, or deal with different types of people, because their exposure to them will enable communication to take place, bridging gaps that are unfounded.
Nonetheless, it seems unreasonable to have any law in place that prevents employers from hiring the best person for the job, regardless of age, sex, religion, ethnic origin, or anything else one might think of as a discriminating factor. Employers must consider their bottom line, especially in today's economy. Unfortunately they also must abide by laws that may limit their ability to do so.
Any type of discrimination is inappropriate no matter how, when, or where it takes place. It seems that discrimination against employers would fall into that category. No one should have the right to delegate ratios of employees based on a given set of factors, especially at a time when productivity matters more than ever just to stay in business.
