THIS IS
AGEISM
Everyone deserves to be treated fairly and kindly but unfortunately this is not the case for many. Age discrimination exists. Two out of three workers between ages 45 and 74 say they have seen or experienced age discrimination at work, and job seekers over age 35 cite it as a top obstacle to getting hired.
THESE ARE
THE FACTS
1 in 5
Chance of 20 year olds living today reaching the age of 100
3.2 million
People in the UK will be over 85 by 2040 – double today’s number!
50%
Of UK Population will be over 50 by 2030!
1 in 5
People in England will be over 65 by 2030
COMMON
QUESTIONS
Q: What is ageism?
The stereotyping and/or discrimination against individuals or groups on the basis of their age.
Q: Why should we be concerned about ageism?
Unlike other prejudices such as racism and sexism, which are manifestations of the fear of the other, ageism is unique in targeting our future selves.
Ageism has significant effects on the elderly and young people. These effects might be seen within different levels: person, selected company, whole economy. The stereotypes and infantilization of older and younger people by patronizing language affects older and younger people’s self-esteem and behaviours. After repeatedly hearing a stereotype that older or younger people are useless, older and younger people may begin to feel like dependent, non-contributing members of society. They may start to perceive themselves in terms of the looking-glass self—that is, in the same ways that others in society see them.
Q: How is the UK population changing?
Through the latter half of the 20th Century, the UK population has been steadily getting older and this trend is projected to continue in the future. In 2016, there were 11.8 million UK residents aged 65 years and over, representing 18% of the total population – 25 years before, there were 9.1 million, accounting for 15.8% of the population.
Looking ahead 25 years to 2041, the 1960s baby boomers (aged in their 50s now) will have moved into older age and by 2066 there will be a further 8.6 million projected UK residents aged 65 years and over, taking the total number in this group to 20.4 million and making up 26% of the total population. This increase in numbers is broadly equivalent to the size of the population of London today.
Q: Why are Intergenerational Teams in the workplace important?
Research also shows that having just one ‘older’ worker on a team, can increase the overall productivity of that unit – part driven by knowledge, expertise and emotional intelligence
Intergenerational teams are proven to be more creative!
Q: What are the best practices for companies to ensure an age diverse workplace?
- Flexible work: make sure all workers know the options available and how to find out more.
- Health and wellbeing: ensure that all employees have the health support they need and know how to access it.
- Career development: genuinely encourage career development at all ages in your workforce
- Inclusive Recruitment: make sure recruitment policies and procedures do not discriminate against older or younger candidates.
- Age-inclusive culture: support the development of an age-inclusive culture across all levels in your business – corporate activities
In short: Look / Listen / Act
Look -at you data and analyse
Listen – to your employees and the perspectives that vary in each generation
Act – use insights and integrate them into your policies
THESE ARE
OUR VALUES
We believe in Equality. We want everyone to feel supported and thrive, particularly in the workplace. Here’s what we are striving to achieve.
DIVERSITY
We believe people aren’t “diverse,” we’re individuals. We do not refer to people as “diverse,” “others” those in non-dominant or historically less privileged groups. Instead, we believe diversity is relational. It’s about the differences between people within your teams, company, and ecosystem and all these differences should be embraced.
EQUALITY
We believe equitable structure gives people what they need as individuals. Equity is in the design of our systems and processes, and it helps to uphold diversity and inclusion-related goals and actions. Companies must examine their diversity and inclusion efforts to design and implement them in an equitable manner.
INCLUSION
We believe inclusion is not a natural consequence of a diverse team or organization; we need to create it. To do so, we must work with the people we’re creating for – from our team members to our end users – to understand what people need in policies, processes, physical spaces, to feel valued and included and to have a voice.