Why Companies should not Practice Age Discrimination
Age discrimination is unfortunately prevalent, with many people and companies committing the crime without even realizing it. There are many consequences of this practice, which can negatively affect the company.
A company could face a lawsuit over age discrimination. You are not allowed to practice age discrimination, and a person can sue the company in civil court over it. If it has been a practice in the company, then more people might come forward and the company could even end up with a huge class action lawsuit. It can end up costing the company a lot of money.
If a lawsuit or other complications occur, then the company can get a lot of bad press. This might be especially negative if there are elderly people who are customers or clients of the company. They may go elsewhere instead and it could end up costing the company a great deal of money in lost sales and business. The company may be forced to spend time and money to try to reshape their image. Even then, they may not be able to fully undo the damage.
When age discrimination occurs, the company will not have the best people working in the positions. For instance, the company may promote someone who is younger but not as well qualified for a position. This can cost the company in lost productivity.
Another result of age discrimination is that the culture can become very negative at the company. You may lose good workers who will quit when they do not get the promotions or raises that they deserve. Even if they stay, they may not feel as good about the company. They may not work as hard or do as good a job because of it. When one person is negative, it can spread to other people in the company and the entire atmosphere can be affected.
The company can also get in more trouble than just a civil lawsuit. They may be investigated by labor organizations or even legal entities. Consequences may include fines or even more serious ones. They may get investigated because of it.
There are many consequences to age discrimination, and none of them are good. Companies should pay close attention to the atmosphere, promotions and raises within the company to make sure that it is not occurring. They should educate employees about it and make it clear that it is not part of the company and will not be tolerated. The more they do, the less likely it is to happen.
