by A. South

Created on: February 05, 2008

A mid-life crisis used to mean hastily purchasing a motorcycle or red convertible. Today, for many older workers, their mid-life crisis means reliving the frustrations of the workforce, resumes, job interviews, and entry-level positions. An alarming, and growing number of workers are facing a new aspect of the work force: age discrimination. Now that more and more people are delaying retirement and staying in the workforce longer, age relations and discrimination are becoming more of an issue, and one that cannot be ignored. Age discrimination is such a factor in the work force that a new law, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) was passed. The ADEA, together with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) effectively transformed age discrimination from a social injustice to a legal injustice. Age discrimination, as defined by the ADEA, functions and prevails with the help several stereotypes. Through the efforts of the EEOC, retribution for age discrimination has improved, but employers still have many alterations to make before this problem is no longer a prevailing issue.

Age discrimination is defined as an act of unfair treatment directed against an individual or group of individuals based on age. This issue has joined and exacerbated a number of obstacles face older workers in the work force. Whether re-entering the workforce, seeking promotion, or simply attempting to maintain employment, stereotypes prevail regarding aging and productivity. Age discrimination can be subtle, or obvious, ranging in intensity from early retirement benefits to age-based firing. Discrimination practices include altering the work environment in hopes that the older worker will resign, or passing up an older worker for training or evaluating the employee poorly. Both of which lay ground for future dismissal of the employee. It would be difficult to measure the extent of these practices, but based on a survey conducted in 1981 by Louis Harris & Associates, Americans recognize that this is a common issue. Based on their findings, 8 out of 10 Americans believe that "most employers discriminate against older people and make it difficult for them to find work, and advance in the workplace." Employers share that sentiment as well. A survey administered to businesses in the same year by William M. Mercer, Inc., revealed that 61 percent of employers believe older workers are discriminated against on the basis of age; 22 percent claim that it is unlikely that without

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