The Time of Your Life Celebration 2020 event was held on 10 October 2020, where a decorated panel discussed and debunked stereotypes of mature workers, and also explored strategies on countering ageism in the workplace and society at large. As one of the panellists at the event, Ms Lim Sia Hoe, CFS’ Executive Director, touched on the issue of ageism in Singapore, in particular, how to recognise ageism when it happens, and how individuals and organisations alike can combat it.

Ms Lim began by highlighting that based on a recent poll, a vast number of seniors aged 50 – 74 years old have faced age discrimination in Singapore. Ageism takes shape in different ways, in particular, across a micro, meso and macro level – it  ranges from a senior individual’s own view of himself/herself (e.g. “I don’t want to grow old, old is ugly”), social interactions with seniors (e.g. “You look great for your age”), and even through institutional policies or cultural traditions (e.g. workplace ageism, anti-ageing industries).

Ageism is a serious issue that should be treated the same as sex, race and disability-based discrimination. This form of discrimination strips away an older adult’s dignity and ultimately forces many of them to choose to work or not to work – something that could otherwise define their sense of self-respect and individual identity.

Because ageism is manifested across 3 levels both expressly and implicitly, it is imperative that we as a society work to debunk the myths and stereotypes about older workers, such as older workers being apparently less productive and unwilling to work or learn new things.

Whilst raising public awareness about ageism is one effective strategy in combatting the issue, it is simply not enough. Alongside the raising of public awareness, organisations and individuals in organisations must also actively implement and take part in non-discriminatory practices to eliminate ageism:

1. Actively reconstruct ageism attitudes in older persons:

• When ageism attitudes have been internalised by older adults themselves, such ageist views can lead to poorer mental and physical health. It is important to encourage them to embrace their age and be confident in the same.

2. Acknowledge the need to eliminate ageism in the workplace:

• Acknowledge the heterogeneity of older workers and assess the capabilities of older individuals in order to benefit from their potential;

• Equip HR and Managers with the necessary competencies to deal with age-related issues in a flexible manner (i.e. a tech start-up hires an older individual for his/her IT competencies and values his/her outstanding attention to detail)

Anti-ageism is a movement that we must strive towards. Other forms of discrimination are well recognised and combatted in many sectors, and it is time for us to seriously start combatting ageism if we want to be a community that is truly inclusive.”