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Age Bias in the Workplace

In: Social Issues

Submitted By stevet50
Words 650
Pages 3
Age Bias in the Workplace First is that your resume gets glanced over or tossed to the side. “Hey, how old are you?” This definitely cannot be asked but the recruiter just has to do the math and figure out how old you are from your graduation date (you were most likely 22-23 at the time.) DON’T put dates on your resume. You will also have an extensive list of employers that only an older worker would have. Try and put only very relevant work information on your resume. Another subtle hint is the older worker gets passed over for new or extra training, or a promotion comes up and the older worker gets passed up for the new college kid. Try to keep up with the latest trends in the company and keep on top of technological advances so that can’t be used against you. “They won’t promote Bill; he still uses a pencil and paper rather than his laptop.” An older worker may have the perception that they are being overlooked, with the way companies use on-line methods of job applications that are very impersonal, post jobs on the internet, such as Monster.com, and don’t realize that literally thousands of people have applied for the same job. The older worker doesn’t get a reply back like the “old days” and assumes he/she was over looked due to their age, when in reality this is the way ALL applications are handled regardless of who you are. How about when the layoffs start coming as we have seen in the past years. This is the single most reported form of age discrimination there is. The older worker who is making a big salary is let go or replaced by a young worker willing to work for a fraction of what the company was paying the older worker. What does our older, mature, dedicated, hardworking worker do? First know your rights both on the federal and state level. You may never file a claim, but at least know what is allowed in the workplace and what isn’t.

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