But new study shows Portugal’s young people feel sidelined by ageism
Portugal’s president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, has called on “everyone to make possible a country at the service of young people and young people at the service of the country” in a message to mark International Youth Day today.
“On this day, I call on everyone to make possible a country at the service of young people and young people at the service of the country, working together for the Portugal we want,” reads the message, posted on the official website of the presidency.
De Sousa explains that he wants to mark International Youth Day by “recognising the concerns and legitimate ambitions of all young people” and “certain of their valuable contributions to a more empathetic, prosperous and cohesive society, committed to building the common good.
“Today I mark International Youth Day convinced of the importance of all those who are already building our present and are also the guarantors of our tomorrow,” he said.
The United Nations declared August 12 International Youth Day in 1999, following a recommendation from the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth, which took place in Portugal in 1998.
But also today a study undertaken by the Fundação Francisco Manuel dos Santos suggests that over 33% of Portugal’s young workers feel they are, or have been victims of ‘age discrimination’ within the workplace.
In other words, exhortations for a country at the service of its young people have a long road to travel.
Says Lusa, the younger the workers, the greater the feeling of prejudice: 42.3% of 18-35s complained of age-related discrimination, only 28.6% of middle aged workers, and 25.6% of older workers.
The study “Understanding ageism in relation to younger and older workers” conceded that “human resources and personnel decisions involving younger and older workers are often biased according to age – it has been proven that ageism affects these decisions”.
Yet ageism, especially concerning younger workers, is “poorly studied – even though it is a “more frequent phenomenon than sexism and racism” having “profound negative implications for individuals, organisations and societies”.
Ageism “is associated with lower levels of psychological well-being”, both for those who are targeted and for those who hold “ageist beliefs.” It is also harmful for organisations, as it reduces job satisfaction and the intention (of workers) to stay.
The results of the study show that “ageist biases can negatively affect the mental health of everyone” involved, contributing to “greater absenteeism (…), a decrease in creativity, innovation and collaboration in teams” and to “probably overburdening the health system“.
More than a quarter of younger workers report being discriminated against because of their age, from recruitment to promotion and dismissal.
Younger workers “also tend to be relatively poorly paid, don’t feel valued, receive derogatory comments, are seen as less competent and have fewer opportunities for development than older colleagues”, says the study which was coordinated by David Patient, Professor of Leadership at the Vlerick Business School (Belgium).
On the other hand, younger people have the most negative opinions, prejudices and attitudes towards older workers, who are better accepted “in more modern and flexible organisations (as opposed to more traditional and rigid ones) and the Lisbon Metropolitan Area and southern regions of the country”.
The belief that older people should retire and make way for younger workers is more prevalent in private companies than in public administration.
“Few sociodemographic factors were found to be predictors of ageist stereotypes against younger workers,” says the study, adding that, in Portugal, prejudices “were accepted at moderate to high levels, although more strongly by older individuals with less education, as well as those with right-wing/conservative views on economic and, especially, social issues.
“Uncommitted people with poor work ethics, arrogant and argumentative” are part of the stereotypical descriptions of younger people, who many consider “should accept a lower status in the organisation and not challenge the hierarchy or the status quo”.
Researchers concluded that age discrimination is not related to the sector of activity or the size and location of organisations. “They found it curious that neither gender nor level of education significantly affects the feeling of ageism”, writes Lusa.
In short, the study says there is an urgent need to understand the role of age discrimination and intergenerational relations at work, given the ageing of the population and the tendency (not just in Portugal) to postpone retirement, considering that “ageism can be an obstacle to retaining talent, (…) create more interpersonal conflicts”, as well as increase stress levels and worsen mental health.
Combating ageism “is fundamental to promoting equality, fostering inclusive environments and maximising the potential contributions of individuals from all age groups”.
Source material: LUSA
