Tackling ageism is key in making Scotland the best place in the world to grow older

A mix of generations in the workplace has been shown to benefit all age groups, writes Brian Sloan

Do you feel “over the hill” or “young at heart”? Whether it’s talking about an “old dinosaur” at work or the latest “anti-ageing” cosmetics, our attitudes towards ageing creep into our everyday language.

Most of us would never think of using racist ors exist language in the workplace.but ageism is often viewed as less serious, with older people frequently the butt of jokes or “affectionate” teasing.

Even phrases that appear complimentary–such as addressing someone as“young lady ”– reflect our collective fear of ageing.

In many ways, this has been thrown into sharp focus over the last year. even the most fit and active 70-somethings have realised their vulnerability to a deadly virus, which unfortunately does discriminate on the basis of age.

The effort across the generations to reach out to those most vulnerable to Covid-19 has been heartening. But it has also highlighted a tendency to view older people as helpless victims and overlook the huge contribution they still make to society. age scotland’ s latest research paints a worrying picture of how many older people feel they are perceived.

We surveyed more than 3000 people, over 50 years of age, across Scotland as part of our Big Survey between January and March this year. We were shocked to find that more than a third of respondents (36 per cent) felt they were made to feel a burden to society, while almost as many (34 per cent) said that life was getting worse for older people in Scotland.

Overall, only one in five (21 per cent)

ofallrespondentsfeltoptimisticabout their future.

Our survey also highlighted widespreadagediscriminationintheworkplace. Twelve per cent said they had been discriminated against at work, while six per cent had witnessed discrimination against older colleagues.

This is especially concerning given the impact of the pandemic on older workers. While much of the focus has been at the opposite end of the age spectrum, older employees have been among those most impacted.

Recent research by the Institute of Fiscal Studies and the Centre for Ageing Better found that workers over 65 were 40 per cent more likely to be furloughedinlateaprilthanthoseintheir 40s.andpreviousstudiessuggestthat those in their late 50s are less likely to bounce back quickly from a period of unemployment than younger counterparts.

As the furlough scheme comes to an end,thiscouldmeanasharpriseinolder jobseekers, while others feel forced totakeretirementearlierthantheyhad planned.

This doesn’t only affect an individual’s finances, mental health and selfesteem. We all lose out when we don’t value older people’s skills and experience.

Infact,havingamixofgenerationsin the workplace has been shown to benefitallagegroups,withyounger workers learning from older mentors.

As we look towards a recovery, it’s vital that everyone, no matter theirage,feelsvaluedandcanplay a full part in society. Tackling ageism is a key part of making Scotland the best place in the world to grow older.

Brian Sloan is Chief Executive at Age Scotland.