Age Discrimination in the Workplace

<p dir="ltr">Ageism is stereotyping or discriminating against people because of their age. This chapter explores current discussions on inequalities based on age in the workplace. Although inequality can affect people of all ages, it can significantly impact young and older people in relation to their conditions of work, including job security, pensions, pay, or career opportunities. Ageism can also have a detrimental effect on people’s lives, their health, and well-being, as well as on society as a whole. While the Equalities Act of 2010 offers age discrimination protection, research shows, nonetheless, that there are still people being treated differently at work because of their age. The chapter examines the different definitions of ageism through a multidisciplinary lens and provides an insight into both scholarly and policy-making approaches. It also focuses on how ageism manifests itself in the work environment and the way it affects the prospects of employees. It adopts an intersectional approach to investigate the degree to which age interacts with other characteristics, such as gender or race and ethnicity, resulting in greater injustices. The final section of the chapter discusses the effects ageism has on organisations and on society, while assessing good employment practices and providing a more practical guide that promotes work equality. The conclusion considers age discrimination within the wider and recent discussions of ‘future of work’ trends.</p>