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:
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.”