Ageism is an Ethical and Legal Consideration

The United Nations established a "Global Campaign to Combat Ageism" under the leadership of the World Health Organization (WHO), which reported:3 * Age, one of the first things we notice about other people, is often used to categorize and divide people in ways that lead to harm, disadvantage and injustice and erode solidarity across generations. * Ageism includes stereotypes (how we think), prejudice (how we feel), and discrimination (how we act) of others or ourselves based on age. * Ageism is pervasive, affecting all ages beginning in childhood, with serious consequences for personal health, well-being and human rights. * Ageism occurs within institutions, in interactions between people, and within us. * Globally, one in two people express ageism against older people; in Europe, younger people report more perceived ageism than other age groups. * Ageism is largely invisible, despite its wide reach and negative impact on individuals and society. The survey also showed age discrimination remained "distressingly common," especially in hiring, where 45% of older applicants cited age discrimination as the major limitation to finding a new job.6 To address hidden age bias in the hiring process, AARP suggested a number of solutions: * Avoid ageist language in job descriptions, such as "fresh," "high-energy" or "digital native," in favor of neutral language. * Establish age as a valued element of diversity in internal and external communications. * Profile the full range of employee ages on career pages and in recruiting material. * Do not request dates of birth or graduation in the application process without a clear legal or business need for the information. * Build ageism into anti-bias training. * Conduct periodic reviews of hiring to assess for all biases, including age. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 forbids age discrimination against anyone 40 years or older.