Diversity: Age Discrimination Alive and Well

Diversity: Age Discrimination Alive and Well

Antoinette Smith

Business Management 600

Professor Michael Murphy

March 12, 2012

Diversity: Age Discrimination Alive and Well

The problem recognition: There is a big problem in the workforce today and with organization as a whole; age discrimination. My first thought was I’m going to be rejected: I agree I’m not getting any younger, but when I recently got up one morning, I started wondering about getting a good job. My observation was; the economy is bad, yet it’s getting better, so what was I concerned about? My immediate concern would be the fact that I’m turning 55 years old in a few days. I actually know the concern or worry was due to the recent research I’ve done to narrow the field of my chosen topic on diversity. I liked my decision on the topic of how age fits in when diversifying an organization, but then I was astounded at what I discovered. Diversity in any businesses or organizations involves recognizing people of race, culture, age, religion and much more. After reading the article, “Diversity in the Workplace” written by Iran Wolfe, which stated, “Diversity is a loaded term, and it’s filled with undertones about age, race and gender, yet it needs to include personality, talent, and experience as important traits, also when working to expand in business. Being of mature age means; that diversity in the workplace is lacking when it comes to employing the aged. This problem is leading to thousands of complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or the EEOC, and lawsuits are filed for age discrimination in business, and not that it can be always proven. I agree that the business world needs the deference of including mature, seasoned and older aged people because they’re people still able to contribute to the workforce. I must face it, the fact of the matter is there’s a lot of age discrimination of older people going on in the business world, right here in the U.S. However,...