are likely to pay them less and be less than full time.
In addition to these figures, the EEOC indicated that age discrimination claims in general are climbing. These claims increased by 20% in 1991 alone, after holding steady for several years (Wilcox, 1992). So, this is a substantial problem.
According to most researchers and scholars, at the root of the problem of age discrimination are a number of negative stereotypes and commonly held beliefs about older people. For example, negative stereotypes about women are expressed in such terms for older women as crone and hag, which genererally have negative connotations (Koch, 1995).
Other beliefs about older workers include such misinformation as that older workers are less productive and more likely to be ill or absent than younger workers. This has been shown to be inaccurate in most cases, with older workers actually less likely to be involved in absenteeism and employee turnover problems than younger workers (Marino, 1995).
Research also shows that stereotypes of older workers include such beliefs that they even if they are reliable, they are less flexible, motivated, adaptable, or creative than younger workers. In addition, research indicates that the higher costs of older workers are seen as problematic. These higher costs tend to come from higher salaries, gained through years of experience, and higher health care and benefit costs (Koch, 1995).
What is age discrimination? That has been established clearly by federal law, although it is often difficult to establish evidence proving its existence. Essentially, age discrimination is any bias exhibited against workers specifically because of their age. Older workers are defined as being in the class of all individuals over the age of 40.
The primary legislation covering age discrimination is the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), which was amended in 1990 by the Older Workers Benefit Pr...