Commentary: Older workers vulnerable to rising tide of retrenchment as ageist mindsets persist
A negative stereotype of the one-time has been prevalent in global pop culture and idiomatic sayings. A report from Cambridge University trawled through 76 popular songs in 2022 and concluded that "mainly negative representations of age and ageing" influence popular music texts.
Just retrieve also of how ofttimes we hear people (regardless of their historic period) use the term "senior moment" to describe a momentary memory lapse?
Telephone call it unconscious bias but when people share common attitudes and stereotypes nearly a certain group of workers, these beliefs can find their fashion into discriminatory practices and deportment, farther entrenching such thinking into our culture.
Like a virus, ageist myths tin can also be internalised by older people. Studies accept shown that if a person is told often enough that he is useless, he will eventually abound to believe and bear as if he is useless. This learnt helplessness lowers self-esteem and contributes to social isolation, a factor associated with elderly suicides.
AN AGEING WORKFORCE Nonetheless AGEIST MINDSETS REMAIN
Today, half-dozen in 10 of the Singaporean workforce is 40 years or older.
That has not hindered Singapore'southward march towards automation and digitalisation efforts. Despite an ageing workforce, Singapore'south productivity has increased by well-nigh 30 per cent over the by decade.
Much credit should be given to senior workers. Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam during the National Broadcast concluding calendar month described them every bit a "hardworking and vigorous generation who have accumulated valuable skills and feel over the years, and notwithstanding take many good years ahead of them."
However, at the national level, ageism obstructs the development and deployment of such homo majuscule.
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Because of ingrained ageism, older workers in Singapore believe they won't take as many chances to hone their skills.
In a Feb 2022 survey on ageism in the workplace, recruitment agency Randstad constitute that 57 per cent of Singaporeans experience at that place will be fewer preparation opportunities the older they become, with 64 per cent of those aged 55 and to a higher place feeling that mode.
This perceived loss of opportunities ultimately affects morale and prospects for career advancement.
An ageist workplace typically presumes the older worker to exist office of a homogenous group with outdated skills. They are viewed as less flexible, not technologically orientated and more expensive hires.
Regardless of their individual abilities, older workers are stereotypically ranked lower in inventiveness, alertness, health, ambition, physical force and productivity. They're ranked higher in susceptibility to accidents, and resistance to innovation and change.
Organisations therefore adopt the practice of non hiring older workers, an action that reduces the average age of their workforce.
Research past the American Association of Retired Persons following the 2008 global financial crisis showed older workers faced a greater likelihood of long-term unemployment, which, coupled with historic period discrimination and other barriers added to the challenges in finding a new job.
Even older jobseekers who do find work accept trouble recovering financially, with many accepting jobs at lower pay, fewer hours and limited benefits.
Forbes further reports some employers may even use the challenging economic atmospheric condition wrought by COVID-19 as a pretext to lay off older employees because they concord views that seniors are less likely to function well in a remote-piece of work setting requiring tech skills.
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A BRIGHTER SPOTLIGHT ON AGEISM
The event of ageism at the workplace has been raised in Parliament in recent years. Much has been said nearly the difficulties faced by older workers to notice new jobs because of age.
The cost of hiring and retaining older workers take likewise been the subject area of many debates, when increases in the CPF contribution rates were announced in August 2019.
The setting up of the National Jobs Council, plus the various schemes such as SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package, and Skills Future are all steps in the right direction to help the unemployed observe jobs and upskill.
The Fair Consideration Framework past Singapore'south Ministry of Manpower for employers to avert discriminatory hiring practices also signals the Regime's stance on ageism. V employers were recently penalised in March for age discrimination in hiring.
More tin can exist done to help the older worker.
Today, the life expectancy of the boilerplate Singaporean is about 83 years. With improve wellness and longevity, many workers will come across the need to go on working beyond the current retirement historic period of 67.
The longevity dividend from longer lifespans is fuelling massive transformations in the workplace.
In more progressive economies that recognise the older workforce as a valuable source of man capital, governments, employers and labour unions are working together to help older people proceeds employment in sectors facing shortages in skills, knowledge or manpower.
In Japan, information technology is not uncommon to see staff from vastly different age groups working together.
Singapore aspires to be a progressive economic system that fully maximises its human capital, as information technology reaches a disquisitional stage in its digital transformation journeying. A successful breakthrough may be hampered past anachronistic boundaries inside social structures that reinforces ageist stereotypes.
The retirement age may exist one such boundary. Although expressed in legislation as the minimum retirement age, it is in reality treated by most employers and fifty-fifty the employees themselves as the "best before" engagement.
Public and private sectors tin accost the result of ageism by getting organisations to value variety and engagement with the older population.
A NATIONAL CAMPAIGN NEEDED
Singapore has done well over the years in shaping national attitudes through various campaigns such as those to save h2o or quit smoking.
A similar effort to raise public awareness almost ageism issues and bust the myths of ageist stereotypes can reshape attitudes in the workplace and society at large.
Eradicating ageism from our organisations must be a goal corporate leaders get behind. After all, ageism stands out from other forms of discrimination where the victims may exist our time to come selves.
Megan Ching is a lifelong learner who holds a law degree from the National University of Singapore and an bookkeeping diploma from ACCA. She is currently a Master of Gerontology student at the Singapore University of Social Sciences under scholarship from the Alice Lim Memorial Fund.
Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/commentary-older-workers-vulnerable-rising-tide-retrenchment-ageist-mindsets-persist-295631
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