The “Ageism in the Workplace” study looks at the prevalence of age discrimination between different generations in Singapore and how ageism impacts workers’ career development and employability.
some key findings
- 31% of young respondents choosing to avoid any interaction with mature workers
- The mean age that 1,052 locally-based respondents think that they will reach career stagnation is 48 years old
- 57% of all respondents feel that they have fewer training opportunities as they get older
age discrimination is experienced by both young and mature workers
57% of respondents feel that they are exposed to fewer training opportunities from their employers as they age. 64% of those aged 55 and above shared this sentiment.
The survey also reveals ageism towards millennials. 28% of respondents aged 18 to 35 either feel or were told that they had been denied a leadership position at work because they were too young.
mitigate the effects of ageism
The prominence of the phrase ‘OK Boomer’ not only highlights the widening generational gaps, but also displays the unwillingness to understand different viewpoints of others. This friction caused by stubbornness and inflexibility to accept others inherently creates a poor and uncooperative workplace.
To mitigate the effects of ageism, employers need to enforce non-discriminatory HR policies and intervene quickly. Companies should also create multi-generational teams to encourage collaboration and learning.