Time For A Conversation
“If ageism happens in your workplace, have some courageous conversations with people,” says Dr. John-Robert Curtin, professor at Indiana University and the University of Louisville. Have conversations with people you trust, and if you’re nervous to have that talk with someone in your organization, Dr. Curtin suggests speaking with a friend, family member, or religious leader first. “This gives you a chance to practice and think out loud,” he says.
A recent poll showed the average age of retirement to be 61 years old. “We were intended to be connected with other humans and make the world better,” Dr. Curtin says. So, if retirement is far off for you and you’d like to bring more awareness to the topic of ageism, begin a conversation and remain to listen—the latter is important. “Getting people to listen to understand versus listening to respond is a great gift of compassion to the person,” he explains. When listening in this manner, you learn and are given the opportunity to help. As an employee or an employer, communicating in this way can shift your work culture and plant seeds of healthy growth when it comes to destigmatizing age.
Can You Do The Job?
“No decision in life should be based on a person’s age, it only matters if they can do the job.” says Dr Christian Davis Furman, medical director, U of L Trager Institute/Optimal Aging Clinic and professor of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine. Older adults have wisdom they can share and have lived a life so why not utilize this in your workforce, she adds. Studies show more life experience leads to better decision-making and a greater acceptance of self and others.
If ageism is playing a part in your work experience, Dr. Furman says, “If you see something, say something, and if you feel it’s happening, it’s real.” She encourages you to talk to someone in charge because “the more we call it out, the more people will understand it’s real.” If you’re able to take documentation such as emails or texts to your meeting, this can help establish your point. If after bringing this issue to light you aren’t getting the outcome you’d like, she encourages you to keep trying. “Sometimes you have to go above that one person to see results,” she begins, “and don’t feel bad if you have to go higher.”
Resources For Help
The American Association of Retired Persons, (AARP) says is out there fighting this every day and they have resources to help people should they face this issue. If you or someone you know is dealing with this right now, one of the many proactive tools AARP provides is a recently launched Share Your Story platform. This is for people to be able to educate others on their experience.
The AARP’s job is to make the public aware and know that there’s support available. This is why AARP provides so many helpful guides and articles on this complex subject. There are works that list the signs you’re experiencing ageism and other articles that go on to explain the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). These resources are helpful when deciding what steps to take and all the options available to you.
By Tonilyn Hornung
P.S. If you missed part two of this series, click here to read more valuable information.
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