Title: WHO | Ageism in the workplace
Headings: Ageism in the workplace
Ageing and life-course
Ageism in the workplace
Anti-discrimination laws
Abolish mandatory retirement ages

Content: The United States, which has one of the highest rates of labour participation among people older than 65 years, has some of the strongest antidiscrimination laws and enforcement; for example, the 1967 Age Discrimination in Employment Act prohibits employment discrimination against people aged 40 years and older. Other countries, such as the Netherlands, have gone so far as to proactively screen vacancy announcements to prevent age discrimination. Abolish mandatory retirement ages
Age is not a reliable indicator when judging a worker’s potential productivity or employability. The OECD has recommended the eventual elimination of all mandatory retirement policies in order to benefit workers, employers and economies. Many countries, including those that have increased workforce participation among older people, still have mandatory retirement ages or support industries with mandatory retirement ages. Organizations of the United Nations also have mandatory retirement ages. Policies enforcing mandatory retirement ages do not help create jobs for youth, as was initially envisaged, but they reduce older workers’ ability to contribute and reduce an organization’s opportunities to benefit from the capabilities and experience of older workers. You are here: Ageing and life-course