Age Discrimination in a site based Workplace - Literature review Example

Topic: Lecturer: Presentation: Introduction Diversity in the workplace has been emphasized by the UK government to ensure that every member of the society has an equal opportunity for employment. This has been enforced through the UK labour law which predestines as illegitimate, the discrimination against persons on the basis of special characteristics such as age, gender and race among other special characteristics in the workforce. This paper discuses age discrimination in a site based workplace, with special focus on the UK construction industry.

Age Discrimination in a Site Based Workplace According to projections by the Office of National Statistics (2008), there is an increasing trend in the number of workers aged above 50 years in the construction industry, and this number is likely to account for 30% of the total working population in this industry by the year 2020. Maurer & Rafuse (2001) observe that age has had a significant impact on the chances of people aged more than 55 years seeking employment in the UK. Most of the construction companies presume that younger and energetic people have a greater capacity to accomplish tasks and bring in new knowledge in the industry (Bendick et al. 2001). Nevertheless, it is important to note that the aging generation has significant experience to contribute to the industry.

Martin et al. (2003) argues that to avoid age discrimination in the construction industry, the thought of where and how to advertise is important to ensure that different age groups are reached. Sometimes the aged are discouraged from seeking employment due to the use of advertisement language such as “recent graduate” which disregards the experienced labour force. On the other hand, some advertisements suppress the hopes of the younger energetic labour force through the use of words such as “mature” or “15 years experience” and many other words that discriminate applicants on the basis of age (Office of National Statistics 2008).

Even though some tasks may require experience, some employers in the construction industry are not specific with regard to the job’s requirements. Martin et al. (2003) observes that different age groups can be offered equal opportunity if the experience needed is substitutable with equivalent qualifications. This allows the experienced older members in the labor force to match their younger qualified counterparts in applying for the job. Maurer & Rafuse (2001) argue that age is usually not a good sign of great potential among workers.

Studies have proved that different people in different age groups have strong characteristics that are essential for different tasks. For example, the younger workers are capable of working part time, especially night shifts while the older generation is likely to enjoy full time employment during the day. This allows an organization to remain in operation for longer hours. The age regulations denounce direct and indirect discrimination, harassment and victimization on the basis of age. Bendick et al. (2001) observes that there is a large skill gap in the construction industry of the UK and these regulations can bring desired benefits such as; the full utilization of human resource available in the labour pool, improved productivity, increased diversity, reduced staff turnover, increased employee motivation and morale, greater extent of application for posts, new ideas and greater access to a wider market.

These have a positive impact on the success of UK’s construction industry. Conclusion The aging population is constantly increasing in the labor market and younger people equipped with skills are joining the construction industry of the UK. It is important for policies on equal opportunity in employment to be enhanced to discourage age based discrimination. It necessary for construction firms to have diverse age groups in the workforce to ensure maximum utilization of human resource in the labour market.

ReferencesBendick, M., Egan, M. & Lofhjelm, S. 2001. “Workforce Diversity Training: From Anti-discrimination Compliance to Organizational Development”, HR: Human Resource Planning, Vol. 24,2, pp. 10-25.Martin, L. Andrew, D. & Helen, L. 2003. Human Resource Management in Construction Projects, Spon Press Maurer, T. & Rafuse, N. 2001. “Learning, Not Litigating: Managing Employee Development And Avoiding Claims Of Age Discrimination”, .Academy of Management Executive, Vol. 15, 4, pp. 110-121.

Office of National Statistics 2008. Construction Statistics Annual, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform