CASE INCIDENT 2 Increasing Age Diversity in the Workplace Over the past century, the average age of the workforce Organizations can take steps to limit age discrimination has continually increased as medical science continues and ensure that employees are treated fairly regardless of to enhance longevity and vitality. The fastest-growing age. Many of the techniques to limit age discrimination segment of the workforce is individuals over the age of 55. come down to fundamentally sound management practices Recent medical research is exploring techniques that relevant for all employees: set clear expectations for could extend human life to 100 years or more. In addition, performance, deal with problems directly, communicate the combination of laws prohibiting age discrimination with workers frequently, and follow clear policies and and elimination of defined-benefit pension plans means procedures consistently. In particular, management that many individuals continue to work well pust the bank professionals note that clarity and consistency can help tional age of retirement. ensure all employees are treated equally regardless of age. Unfortunately, older workers face a variety of Questions discriminatory attitudes in the workplace. Researchers scanned more than 100 publications on age discrimination 1. What changes in employment relationships are likely to determine what types of age stereotypes were most to occur as the population ages? prevalent across studies. They found that stereotypes 2. Do you think increasing age diversity will create new suggested job performance declined with age, counter to challenges for managers? What types of challenges do empirical evidence presented earlier in this chapter that you expect will be most profound? relationships between age and core task performance are 3. How can organizations cope with differences related essentially nil. Stereotypes also suggest that older workers to age discrimination in the workplace? are less adaptable, less flexible, and incapable of learning 4. What types of policies might lead to charges of age new concepts. Research, on the other hand, suggests they discrimination, and how can they be changed to are capable of learning and adapting to new situations eliminate these problems? when these are framed appropriately