Avoid Age Discrimination in the Workplace
Over the past 15 years, age discrimination cases have accounted for 20-25 percent of all Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) cases.
It’s unfortunate that some businesses view older workers as a liability, while others recognize how their company will gain from their experience and talents. Either way, employers do not want to discriminate against employees because of age. You can start in your hiring process to make sure that you're not making some common mistakes in this area. The following tips can help you avoid ageism in your company:
Place advertisements where everyone might look, such as online job boards or community newspapers.
Remove discriminatory language from your job descriptions like “new grads” or “young.”
Don’t require applicants to list their birthdate on forms.
Stay away from age-related interview questions.
Avoid stereotyping older workers, such as thinking that someone 60 years old will retire soon and isn’t worth hiring.
