CHAPTER 1:

INTRODUCTION TO MANAGEMENT OF WORKPLACE DIVERSITY

LESSON OBJECTIVES:

At the end of the lesson, the student should be able to:

1. Differentiate the different aspects in Diversity Management
2. Identify the need for businesses to embrace diversity
3. Recall the benefits of workplace diversity
4. Distinguish the different models for diversity

READINGS:
Diversity management is an important concept that is universally applied to the workplace.
Earlier, countries could claim to be ethno-centric in their approach by having a homogenous race at the
work with the style of sameness. If you just watch a typical American soup, it speaks of burgers,
college lifestyle, American stereotype of hero, etc. This means that stereotypes tend to give an image of
what one society is and how it might and how it might differ from others or the so-called rest of the
world. This image is no truer today specially when on speaks of a globalised world- a concept
developed since the 1990s and so-widely accepted today in all communities of the world. Marshall
McLuhan spoke in 1960s of a global village with increased speed of communication and the ability of
people to read about, spread, and react to global news quickly (Mc Luhan, 1964), while management
writers like Ohmae (1999) commented on the borderless world with excellent opportunities to trade
without fear. These ideas better illustrate today’s workplace with its high level of diversity. It includes
firstly people of all races combining their effort to reach the corporate goals of the firm.
People can then be of different gender; male or female, where they contribute more than ever before to
their organisation with or without role differences. Next comes the age factor. A company is also like a
family with people of different ages. They work together and collaborate to the wellbeing of their firm.
In diversity management, one can also come across physically handicapped of disabled
workers. Although they face a lot of discrimination due to their physical problem, they have nowadays
more rights and opportunities to work. Engaging them in the work community proves to be beneficial
both to them and the business. One can also speak of social class differences that are broadly overcome
but can vary in terms of importance among different cultures. The movements in class might also
explain how diversity can address organisational issues.
Then comes the foreign employee. There are two tends that are identifiable. Firstly, people from
the developing world moved in large numbers to rich countries that were their former colonists.
Secondly, top executives are moving to developing nations to sell their managerial expertise. Foreign
employees might also invoke the issue of cultural diversity and tolerance.
There are part-timers to consider in diversity management. When economies are in dire
difficulties, new forms of employment do arise and part-timers have a key role in it. Their expertise and
contribution plays a key role in addressing the work problem through their diversity.

The Concept of Workplace Diversity

Diversity is generally defined as acknowledging, understanding, accepting, valuing, and

celebrating differences among people with respect to age, class, ethnicity, gender, physical and mental
ability, race, sexual orientation, spiritual practice, and public assistance status (Esty, et al., 1996)
Managing diversity means acknowledging people’s differences and recognising these
differences as valuable. It enhances good management practices by preventing discrimination and
promoting inclusiveness. Good management alone will not necessarily help an individual work
effectively with a diverse workplace. While the traditional notion of workplace diversity may refer to
representations of various races, genders and religious backgrounds, today’s concept of workplace
diversity is broad-based. Besides these classical variables, considerations are also made in personality,
age, style, skills, education, background, etc. The focus of workplace diversity now lies on the
promotion of individuality within an organisation, acknowledging that every person can bring
something different to the business
An organization that is committed to a diverse workplace is one that aims to harness a pool of
individuals with unique qualities, seeing this combination of differences as a potential for growth rather
than opportunities for conflict. Attached to this commitment is also an intention to nurture and develop
the potential of each individual.
Organizations must understand that managing diversity is much more than gaining knowledge
on race and gender issues. Managing diversity should be viewed as providing a perspective that can
enhance creativity and growth. The discipline provides a way of thinking that allows us to view our
organizational activities through a more objective eye.

The Need for business to embrace diversity.

Diversity means empowering people. It makes an organization effective by capitalizing on all

strengths of each employee. Diversity is also understanding, valuing, and using the differences in every
person. Simply enforcing government regulations is not the best way to embrace diversity. To obtain
that competitive edge companies need to create great work teams by using the full potential of every
individual.
Embracing diversity is the first item for building teams. Every team building theory states that
to build a great team, there must be a diverse group of people on the team. Choosing people like
oneself to be on teams is similar to inbreeding- it multiplies the flaws. While on the other end of the
continuum is having an assorted group of individuals which diminishes the flaws of others.
Internally, organizations promote diversity and manage increasingly heterogenous workforces,
accommodate and integrate employees with different value and belief systems and combat a range of
different forms of discrimination with both organizational and societal consequences (Groschl, 2011)
Externally, organizations have to manage demands from governmental, consumer and lobbying
sources for the implementation of anti-discrimination policies and laws, and for attracting and
integrating employees from minority or historically disadvantaged groups (Groschl, 2011). These
demands and activities affect the review and revision of organisational culture, HR policies and
practices and ethnical standards.

Benefits of Workplace Diversity

According to Greenberg (2008), an organization's success and competitiveness depends upon its
ability to embrace diversity and realise the benefits. When organizations actively assess their handling
of workplace diversity issues, develop and implement diversity plans, multiple benefits are reported
such as:

Increased adaptability. Orgnaisations employing a diverse workplace can supply a greater

variety of solutions to problems in service, sourcing, and allocation of resources. Employees from
diverse backgrounds bring individual talents and experiences in suggesting ideas that are flexible in
adapting to fluctuating markets and customer demands.
Broader service range. A diverse collection of skills and experiences (e.g. languages, cultural
understanding) allows a company to provide service to customers on a global basis.
 Variety of viewpoints. A diverse workplace that feels comfortable communicating varying
points of view provides a larger pool of ideas and experiences. The organisation can draw from that
pool to meet business strategy needs and the needs of customers more effectively.
More effective execution. Companies that encourage diversity in workplace inspire all of their
employees to perform to their highest ability. Company-wide strategies can then be executed; resulting
in higher productivity, profit, and return on investment.
Attract and retain talent. Andrade (2010) states that talent can add a competitive edge to any
organisation. Feeling included and appreciated increases loyalty and feeling the belonging. Language
skills pool is increased and propels organisation forward either to compete in the International global
world or to increase its diverse customer base.

Challenges to managing diversity

There are challenges to managing a diverse work population. Managing diversity is more that
simply acknowledging difference in people. It involves recognising the value of differences, combating
discrimination, and promoting inclusiveness. Managers may also be challenged with losses in
personnel and work productivity due to prejudice and discrimination and complaints and legal actions
against the organisation (Devoe, 1999).
Diversity-related challenges are present in almost every workplace, whether they are giant
corporations or small business operations. The globalised business world has increased the need for
individuals from all walks of life. Holt (2015) states that conflict is a natural part of this process and, as
long as it is handled in a healthy way, can bring a group of employees closer together. Challenges are
what improve employee relationships and promote diversity, if handles correctly. If handles incorrectly,
a company could fall apart, face lawsuits and spend more time resolving conflict than being productive.
These challenges, when handles in a healthy way, push people to grow, improving productivity and
employee relationships, decreasing workplace
tension and resulting in a positive place to work.

The managerial and psychological challenge

Managerially managing diversity is challenging because by opening ourselves and our

organizations to the perspectives of individuals and groups who have had less managerial voice in the
past we can step outside the traditional frame of decision making. Managers have to deal with different
types of people and different visions. It is not compared to a structure where values are common or
homogeneous.
Psychologically managing diversity is challenging because of issues such as personality,
perception, attitudes, and values. These are issues where all people differ individually like responses to
different individuals. Individual differences are largely responsible for stereotyping, discrimination, and
prejudice. Companies might greatly underestimate the power of memory and past experiences. This
issue might influence the manager’s response to individual differences.
A model of Diversity
The Four Layers Model. According to Amelio
(2015), the Four Layers Model can help the manager
understand that diversity comprises many
characteristics of people at work, not only a few. The
diversity-mature manager will seek to understand these
factors and dimensions of diversity to ensure he is
bringing out all aspects of an individual’s talents and
abilities in support of the organisation’s mission and
goals.

Personality. This includes an individual’s likes and

dislikes, values and beliefs. Personality is shaped early
in life and is both influenced by, and influences, the
other three layers throughout one’s lifetime and career
choices.

Internal dimensions. These include aspects of diversity over which we have no control (through
“physical ability” can change of illness or accidents). This dimension is the layer in which many
divisions between and among people exist and which forms the core of many diversity efforts. These
dimensions include first things we see in other people, such as race or gender and on which we make
many assumptions and base judgements.

External dimensions. These include aspects of our lives which we have some control over, which
might change over time, and which usually form the basis for decisions on careers and work styles.
This layer often determines, in part, with whom we develop friendships and what we do for work. This
layer also tells us much about whom we like to be with.

Organizational dimension. This layer concerns the aspects of culture found in a work setting. While
much attention of diversity efforts is focused on the internal dimensions, issues of preferential
treatment and opportunities for development or promotion are impacted by the aspects of this layer.

Theoretical Contributions to Diversity Management

The radical approach to promoting equal opportunities was adopted by individuals who held
strong political and ethical values and recognized the historical disadvantage that certain groups, such
as women, ethnic minorities and disabled person, experienced in employment (Jewson and Mason
1986). The supporters of this approach advocated positive discrimination and affirmative action as their
methods for change (Adler and Izraeli, 1988).
Jewson and Mason (1986) identified two distinct approaches to promoting equal opportunities
in employment. These were the liberal and radical change approaches. The proponents of the liberal
approach argued that women and men were essentially the same and that sex equality would be
achieved once employment policies and procedures became identical for both sexes (Cockburn 1989).
The liberal approach was identified with its “business-case” arguments, which were propounded in the
1990s to achieve sex equality at work. These practitioner-based arguments aimed at convincing a
managerial audience that equality and diversity were financially beneficial to their organizations.
Cockburn (1989) asserted that the radical approach was “retrogressive in further dividing the already
divided powerless group.” She also pointed out, that, although use of a radical approach could promote
the relative position of one disadvantaged group, it did not promise any improvement in the structures
that perpetuate inequalities at work. Cockburn (1989) argued that the liberal approach was not able to
reach its targets and that he radical approach, while boosting the interest of some disadvantaged groups
such as women, ethnic minorities and disabled workers, did not challenge the employment structures
that upheld sex discrimination. Instead, she proposed a transformational change approach with a short
and a long-term agenda. Kandola and Fullerton (1998) in their book Diversity in Action: Managing the
Mosaic state that ‘the basic concept of managing diversity accepts that the workplace consists of a
diverse population of people. The diversity consists of visible and non-visible differences which will
include factor such as sex, age, background, race, disability, personality, and work style. It is founded
on the premise that harnessing these differences will create a productive environmental in which
everyone feels valued, where their talents are fully utilized and in which organizational goals are met.

CHAPTER 2:
GENDER ISSUE IN WORKPLACE DIVERSITY

LESSON OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the lesson, the student should be able to:
1. Distinguish the factors affecting gender inequality in the workplace
2. Discriminate the different roles of women in the society
3. Recall the aim of gender equality in the workplace

READINGS:

Introduction

The issue of discrimination at work is commonplace in most parts of the world. This comes
quite often when women are considered as part of today’s workforce. This is a sea change that has
taken place world wide seen from images from the media and activities undertaken by women today.
This chapter addresses the gender issue by paying particular attention to women in business. Long ago,
we all knew of the tradition family illustrated with the father as a bread winner, the mother as the one
who did the household chores and looked after the children. Women were submissive in the initial part
of the modern history confronted to minimized roles and influence at work. This obviously changed
with time and women are now at the forefront organizations; a few having leading roles to play in
business.
At the political level, the representation of women is limited with a few clichés of great ladies
like Indira Gandhi (India), Golda Meir (Israel), Margaret Thatcher (UK), just to mention a few. Some
have been making the news in the social arena like Mother Theresa. Unlike men, the success of women
in the society can be said to be countable in number terms while it is all too difficult to account for the
contribution of men at work. Every society has its heroes and the male gender is often portrayed as the
hero.
Traditional society in the developing world have usually given the impression that men are
more important to women. In China, there are villages whereby there is a majority of males. The same
applies to tradition-rooted India where baby girls were claimed to be killed in the wait for male
children. There are exceptions however within the developing world in some African societies where
women have a greater role to play and this applies exceptionally to matriarchal societies. Else, male
dominance is paramount be it the industrialized or the developing nation. Even today in the USA, there
is still the wait for a female to become the president of the world’s first economic power.
 This chapter raises the issue of gender from the perspective of the role and influence of women
in today’s diversity. It evidently covers the emancipation of women including the inevitable outlook on
Simone de Beauvoir’s “Deuxieme Sexe” as an intention to clearly see how women deserve their role in
society. Examples are taken from various sources to enrich the reader’s experience of efforts
undertaken to give women their due right and expectations within diversity and to welcome their
achievements.

Traditional roles in society

Tradition broadly establishes roles and intention of people. Starting from dressing habits to
activities in the family to gifts like balls for boys or dolls for girls, tradition has an overwhelming
presence in shaping the role of men and women in society. Newbie (2009) comments that the
traditional roles of men and women were established to ensure the power of the head of household.
Historically speaking, that head of household was always male. But the rapidly developing world has
brought about many changes into traditional roles of both men and women. People have been
socialized to expect men to be brave, industrious and domineering, whereas women have been expected
to be submissive, timid, and nurturing. Nowadays, however, women do not have to rely on their
husbands anymore to provide a financial support for the home and in many cases they become
breadwinners and head of the home themselves. Thus, these changes have resulted in male losing his
image and ego as the dominant gender in society.
Women are the inherent part of our society and cannot be neglected due to their less power and
authority. They are created as a companion for men and men have to make her walk with them in the
course of life. Gicki (2013) states that women play roles as a mother, a sister, a daughter, a wife. They
play their roles with great responsibilities in upbringing of a healthy solid society, but she is in our so
called modern world, still living in chains.

Women as a basic unit of society

The basic unit of society is a woman. As woman makes a family, family makes a home and
homes make a society. So we should never think that a society would come into existence without the
contribution of women. We all know that without education, no development is possible. Here we have
forgotten that the very first and best school of a child is its mother’s lap (Gicki, 2013). A good healthy
society does not automatically emerge on its own and stands firm but it needs to be emerged and for its
emergence women play a pivotal role.
From behavioral to health education women have their hands in. these are all the basic fundamentals of
a good society and women are the main contributors in building up a strong society.

Women’s Movement
It is interesting to start by speaking of women’s movement which initially developed in
forward-looking nations, particularly in Scandinavian countries where the rights to vote started as early
as the 1925 for women while this was passed on much later to the United Kingdom, around the fifties
and its colonies by the late 1960s. The first women’s movement grew out of the context of European
revolutions during the 18th and 19th century. Whereas it mainly focused on fighting for access to
education and political participation (women’s right to vote), the new women’s movement in the
second half of the 20th century drew its strength especially from the struggle for sexual and
reproductive rights of freedom and equal opportunities in all areas of society. While this second phase
of the organized women’s movement in the US has to be seen in a context with the black civil rights
movement, e.g., in West Germany in stemmed from the student movement.

Feminism
 The term “feminism” is increasingly found since the early 20th century, when it was used as a
synonym
for the women’s issue and female emancipation endeavors. Today, feminism can be assumed as a
political movement as well as a critical trend in the philosophy of science that deals with power, power
relations and domination. Currently, we find different national and cultural developments on the
conventional level and concerning its self-image. So instead of talking about feminism, it seems more
apt to talk about “feminisms”. Its different orientations (including liberal, Marxist, autonomous,
deconstructive, differential and equality feminism.) originate from heterogeneous theoretical
paradigms, but their smallest common denominator is “the complete realization of the emancipation of
women”. It was mainly in the course of the second women’s movement and its march through
institutions that feminism got universally established, became increasingly academic and further
developed through critical women’s and later gender studies (NeusuB and Chojecka, 2008).

Gender
“The fundamental transformation that took place in Beijing was the recognition of the need to
shift the focus from women to the concept of gender, recognizing that the structure of society, and all
relations between men and women within it, had to be re-evaluated. Only by such the fundamental
restructuring of society and its institutions could women be fully empowered to take their rightful place
as equal partners with men in all aspects of life. This change represented a strong reaffirmation that
women’s rights were human right and that gender equality was an issue of universal concern, benefiting
all. (UN org, 2010)”
Gender equality is achieved when people are able to access and enjoy the same rewards,
resources and opportunities regardless of whether they are a woman or a man. Many countries
worldwide have made significant progress towards gender equality in recent decades, particularly in
areas such as education. However, women continue to earn less than men, are less likely to advance
their careers as far as men, and are more likely to spend their final years in poverty. At the same time,
some men find it more difficult to access family-friendly policies or flexible working arrangement than
women (Commonwealth Government of Australia, 2014).

The aim of gender equality in the workplace is to achieve broadly equal outcomes for women and men,
not exactly the same outcome for all individuals. To achieve this requires:
 Workplaces to provide equal remuneration for women and men for work of equal or
comparable value.
 The removal of barriers to the full and equal participation of women in the workforce.
 Full and genuine access to all occupations and industries, including to leadership roles for
women and men
 Elimination of discrimination on the basis of gender particularly in relation to family and
caring responsibilities for both women and men.

Women’s emancipation
When women’s emancipation movements initially emerged, they were usually closely
connected to political and social opposition movements. In liberation movements and revolutions in
which men and women jointly exerted themselves for basic rights, national independence, and a
constitutional charter, the position of women was also on the agenda. Some men, although not the
majority, were prepared to accept women as companions with equal rights. Women availed themselves
of the additional scope for action which materialized during periods of social upheaval. There arose
new forms of feminist involvement in the form of societies, journals, and alternative lifestyles.
 Women’s emancipation movements developed early in those countries where socioeconomic
change was already advanced, and soon a mass following. The emergent industrial and civil society
resulted in a closer interaction among all classes. In the last decade of the nineteenth century women’s
association with widely different goals increasingly united on national and international levels. This
consolidation was the result of intensified communication which encouraged the exchange of ideas and
accelerated developments in the different national women’s movements.

CHAPTER 3:
AGE ISSUE IN WORKPLACE

LESSON OBJECTIVES:
1. At the end of the lesson, the student should be able to:
2. Distinguish the importance of integrating Family life cycle with work
3. Identify the roles of young and old worker employees in diversity
4. Discriminate the importance of age diversity
5. Relate on how to manage older workers in diversity

READINGS:

Introduction

An organization comprises an array of individuals with differences in age. This is common for
established or the said “mature” organizations that boast their long-term existence to a combination of
both young and old workers. Employees themselves go through a stage of their existence on entering
the marketplace young, maturing over the years through work and experience and eventually retiring as
they enter old age. Since the world’s population is ageing faster than ever before, older workers might
have to stay longer in their organizations. Some countries have raised the retirement age from 60 to 65
while it is up to 67 in advanced nations.
A few issues immediately come to the mind when one speaks of age as a diversity component.
What is the general perception that we have of an aged worker? Just think of somebody getting old,
having more wrinkles on the face, grey-haired and likely to be in poorer health than his younger
counterparts? This is a cliché that we tend to have of old people but also of the mature employee
working for his last few years in the business. The old worker can be considered as one who is
weakened by health ailments, age, and relative problems. Having spent more time at work than others,
the aged worker looks to be less effective. This is just a perception not a reality.
The second issue might come from change and innovation. Evidently, young workers fall in the
better side on being dynamic, innovative, forward-looking and open to change while this might look
less possible force the older worker. Here again, there is a perception of superiority or better
adaptability to changes. Is this particularly true when one could also address the generational issue
discussed in a later chapter?
 Next comes the questions of recruitment. In a situation of high unemployment, younger workers
are given better chances to come back to work compared to the older ones. This is something
commonly agreed whereby a majority of older workers get more time and effort to gain their past
positions or even accepting to work for lower ages.
The issue of age discrimination can also affect promotion in organization. If the First in, First
Out (FIFO) concept is widely applied, it means that the older worker logically leaves the firm first due
to age. Equally, this might also mean that the more experienced and aged worker should benefit from
promotion. This is another essential question when it comes to dealing with age diversity. Some
companies might favor younger managers to give an image of youthfulness to their business while
older workers could suffer from discrimination on not being given the promotion.
This chapter addresses the issue of age from the point of view of older workers who might
become more sizeable in the future as communities age. It states that age differences do matter at work
but there is a need to overcome discrimination. This might be written in the company’s code of conduct
but unfortunately paid lip service. It is imperative to value and reward the experience of the old worker
while believing in his excellent contribution in today’s workplace diversity.

Integrating Family life cycle with work

It would firstly interesting to develop the age concept through the traditional family life cycle
depicted more often in consumer behavior than other courses so as to have a good picture of where the
employee is likely to be at work.
Traditionally the life cycle, illustrated a progression of stages through which families passed; it
comprised stages, starting from bachelorhood (single), to married (couple), to family growth
(Parenthood: birth of children), to family contraction (grow up children leaving home for studies or
employment) to post parenthood (all children leaving alone) to dissolution (single survivor: death of
one spouses).

Based on these, the traditional FLC can be synthesized into five basic stages, which may be
mentioned as follows;
 Stage I: Bachelorhood : Young single adult (male/female) living apart from parents and into a
livelihood.
 Stage II: Honeymooners : Young married couple.
 Stage III: Parenthood : Married couple with at least one child living with them at home.
 Stage IV: Post-parenthood : An older married couple with no children living at home.
Children have left home for studies or for employment.
 Stage V: Dissolution : One surviving spouse.

The same concept applies to age patterns at work. Stage I and II refer to initial stage of ageing
at work. Employees in this category might be unskilled or semi-skilled but they are quite young (18-25)
depending upon the time that they might spend at school, particularly for higher education.
Parenthood is the most important stage at work where the employee is working to raise his
family and contribute financially to it. Hence, expenditure might even exceed income. Workers want to
stay in their jobs or seek higher revenue. This can be more between the age range 30-45.
Post-parenthood normally affects older workers those in the age range 60-65 and already having
their own children at work. The last stage will rarely comprise the workforce as people at that level
normally retire from work.

Young employees in diversity

 Young firm disproportionately employ young workers, controlling for firm size, industry,
geography and time. The same positive correlation between young firms and young employees holds
when we look just at new hires. According to Ouimet and Zarutskie (2013), young employees in young
firms earn on average higher wages than young employees in older firms. Further, young employees
disproportionately join young firms with greater innovation potential and that exhibit higher growth,
conditional on survival. These facts are consistent with the argument that the skills, risk tolerance, and
career dynamics of young workers are contributing factors to their disproportionate share of
employment in young firms.
Hardy (2013) states that younger companies tend to have workers with less time at the firm,
which is partly an effect of being new and hiring intensively in recent years. Facebook’s median worker
has been with the company just 1.1 years, while Intel, I.B.M., Oracle and others come in around six
years. Other factors are also in play, however. “The firms that are growing or innovating around new
areas tend to have younger workers,” said Katie Bardaro, the lead economist at Pay Scale. “Older
companies that aren’t changing with the times get older workers.

The Middle-Aged Worker in diversity

Another important component is the middle-aged factor worker which can comprise a
substantial part of the company. Express UK (2015) claims that by 2020 it is estimated that up to a third
of the nation’s workforce will be 50 or older so the more skilled they are the better it will be for
Britain’s economy. According to MetLife 63 per cent of adults aged 50 or over say they are considering
retraining so they can carry on working well into what was previously retirement age. For many this is
because of the financial implications of giving up work but others want the stimulation of employment,
the company of colleagues or ‘a sense of purpose’ said MetLife.
For some this will mean learning new skills such as basic computer coding to stay up to date
their current job and starve off any forced early retirement. But for others it will mean learning
something completely new to continue in full- or part-time employment or start up a business of their
own.

The Old worker in diversity

A third category of worker is the old water. A research paper from EEO Trust (2008) comments
that employers define “older” in a range of ways. The most typical definition is “55 years and over”.
However, this varies in different sectors. In sectors where there are heavy physical demands, it is more
likely that they are thinking of workers aged 50 and over. In high-earning professions, where
significant numbers of people are choosing to step away from their full-time jobs in their fifties, fifty
also is seen as a benchmark for categorizing
older workers. Some organizations think about ‘older’ as people in the last five to ten years of their
paid employment. Others do not think about age, rather length of service.
Organizations find it useful to define “older” in a way that is relevant to them to help them
monitor their workplace and carry out workforce planning. Apart from that, the definition will not
necessarily be very important. Older workers are as varied in their aspirations, abilities and availability
as any other group of workers (EEO Trust, 2008). The variations among older workers mean that they
are unlikely to respond in a uniform way to initiatives, options or strategies that employers use to
attract and retain older workers.

The importance of age diversity

 All of the indications are that more people will need to continue working later in life. This is
because on the one hand pensions are decreasing in value and on the other, people are becoming more
likely to still have financial obligations such as mortgages or child/student support, later in life.
Because there are also fewer younger people available for work. Employers will need to consider how
they can best become an employer of choice for older workers and how they can retain older workers in
and procedures and arrangements for training to ensure compliance with the Employment Equality
Regulations, but also to ensure that all employees including younger and older workers are respected
and valued in a workplace that is attractive, responsive to their needs and optimizes their opportunity to
contribute (diversiton. com, 2015). For some organizations this will mean a significant culture change.
The elderly today differs from older adults in the past in important ways. First, the experience
of old age in America in marked by unparalleled diversity. Public discussion of the old-age population
refers to this age group as the “elderly” or “seniors” as though this is a homogenous category (Seltzer
and Yahirun, 2013). These terms mask the considerable diversity in the characteristics and experiences
of those in this chronological age group.
Each person brings a history of his or her experiences from early life and midlife into old age.
The histories are shaped by whether a person is male or female, how much schooling and income the
person has, race-ethnicity, and nativity. Seltzer and Yahirun (2013) state that these characteristics and
the life histories shaped by them continue to affect individuals’ experiences in later life.
With the ageing of the population, it is now more important than ever to encourage experienced
workers to remain in the workforce and to pass their skills and knowledge onto others. The long-term
success of any business depends on the ability to tap into a diverse body of talent, knowledge and
skills. Age-friendly recruitment practices can widen the applicant pool to help a company find the best
person (Department of Employment, 2014).
Losing experienced staff to retirement can also affect an organization. In addition to the costs of
recruiting and training new staff, there is also the lost knowledge of a business and clients. Mature-age
workers have built up knowledge and skills during their time in the workforce, and using these skills in
workplace mentoring programmes can reduce staff turnover, train other employees and increase staff
morale. Mature-age workers can save your business money on absenteeism, training and recruitment.

Discrimination against old workers

Age discrimination in employment removes or restricts the individual’s freedom to exercise his
right to work. Discriminatory measure can oblige workers at a set age to leave work early, or exclude
them from applying for Jobs or from training and employment promotion schemes after a certain age.
Older workers are broadly defined as those aged over 50. Discrimination starts at different ages. For
example, discrimination is recruitment starts from around 40, whereas early exit from work affects
large numbers from 55 onwards (Drury, 1993). In the USA, the law forbids discrimination when it
comes to any aspect of employment, including hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoff,
training, fringe benefits, and any other term or condition of employment (EEOC, 2014). This law
protects people who are 40 or older from discrimination because of age.
The law also makes it illegal to retaliate against a person because the person complained about
discriminations, filed a charge of discrimination, or participated in an employment discrimination
investigation or lawsuit.
Cavico and Mujtaba (2010) state that with the increasing age of the workforce, the presence of
age bias on society generally, together with the fact that the consequences of unemployment fall more
harshly on older people, make the topic of age discrimination in employment a very significant one-
legally, ethically, and practically. Moreover, as “older” employees get even older, their pension and
health care costs concomitantly increase for their employers, thereby making older employees more
“attractive” targets for workforce “downsizing”.
Direct and indirect discrimination

Two types of discrimination can be identified: Direct discrimination measures targeted at older
workers based solely on grounds of age, and on no other factors, such as abilities or health. These
measures use specific age limits to exclude older workers from, for example, training and employment
schemes, or from applying for jobs.
Indirect discrimination measures which are not directly age-specific, but which have a
disproportionately negative impact on older workers, compared with other age groups. This hidden
discrimination usually has the most widespread impact on older workers in Employment.

The Value of Old Workers

James (2013) explains that it is first essential to dispel the myth that senior citizens are just too
old for the workplace. Today workers, for the most part, do not retire at 60 anymore. But that is not just
because they cannot afford to- it is because 60 is not old anymore. Today’s 50-, 60- and 70- somethings
not only need to work, they want to work, and they are fully capable of doing so. In fact, the average
health of today’s older worker is no worse than that of their younger counterparts, and by some
measures is better. A 2012 AARP survey asked Americans aged 35 to 80 rate their overall health and
happiness, and found responses generally increasing with age. Other surveys have found adults over 65
reporting lower levels of depression, loneliness and other mental health problems than their younger
peers. The perception that people over the age of 60 are somehow mentally or physically unsuited for
the workplace is as outdated as a fax machine.
But it’s not just that older workers are not risks or burdens to organizations. They are, in fact, a
benefit Numerous studies have shown that older workers are the most satisfied with their jobs and the
most engaged of all age groups, which any manager can tell you leads to higher levels of presentism
and productivity. They very often bring relevant experiences, strong attention-to-detail, and resilience
built from years on the job that their younger peers may be less likely to offer (James, 2013).
Yet, the perception remains that older workers are not up to the job or not worth hiring. Nearly a
quarter of all cases brought to the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2011
claimed discrimination in the basis of age. Older workers are routinely passed up for promotions,
forces out of jobs, or simply not given the chance in the first place. These kinds of ageist attitudes do
not just hurt older workers; they hurt the entire organization. A recent survey conducted by the Boston
College Sloan Centre on Ageing & Work found that a perception of bias in the workplace against older
workers generates lower senses of engagement among both older workers and younger workers. That’s
right, even the perception that older workers are being discriminated against has a negative outcome for
the company, across the board.
According to James (2013) it is high time for employers and employees alike to rethink our
perceptions of older Americans in the workplace. Older workers are more than up to the job, they often
bring unique skills and outlooks no one else can offer, and discriminating against these workers not
only hurts them, it hurts the entire company.

Managing older workers in diversity

There is a major shift in the workplace. For the first time in history, businesses regularly are
managing workforces with four generations of employees. Employers are operating with workers from
their early 20s to their late 70s, or beyond.
Denver (2012) comments that managing this growing age diversity is one of the biggest
workplace challenges today- and one that employers highlighted in The Denver Post’s Top Workplaces
2012 section have given special attention. Generations in the workplace today include Millennials, who
range in age from about 16 to 31; Generation X, about 32 to 47; baby boomers, about 48 to 65; and
Traditionalists, roughly 65 to older. No longer are workers routinely retiring at 62, 65 or 67. Some stray
on because they like to work. Others have seen their retirement accounts decimated in recent years or
never were able to save enough to consider retiring.
Multigenerational workplaces can bring out the best- and worst- in companies and their
employees. Older workers can convey wisdom gained from decades of experiences. Younger ones have
fresh ideas and technical skills. Denver (2012) claims that yet the two groups often do not coalesce for
the benefit of themselves and their employers.

Young managers in diversity

Contrary to the common perception, it is young people who suffer most from age discrimination
at work rather than older workers, new British research has suggested. A poll by insurer Royal & Sun
alliance has found that 14 per cent of young people aged under 25 years old felt discriminated against
in the workplace because of their age. They felt their progression had been hindered because that were
perceived as too young to take on extra responsibility (Paton, 2006).
Young managers might be competent in their fields bringing the desired human capital to their
respective organisations. With the latest qualifications and skills required in the job market, they are
capable of shouldering key positions in business. Here again, they might be subject to discrimination
probably because of their lack of exposure to business realities, lack of experience and possibly weak
contacts with older managers or broad level representatives. This could explain why among top
managers; young managers are broadly fewer at the board level.