ABSTRACT
Age discrimination occurs when that prejudice is institutionalized. It is the act of favouring certain age groups in the workforce and sidelining others. Throughout centuries, age discrimination has evolved and developed into something that affects productivity in the workplace. Age discrimination is a serious issue both for business and for society. From October 2006 discrimination on the basis of age is illegal. Since 1975 the UK has introduced a number of discrimination laws, including race, sexual orientation, religion or belief, disability and sex discrimination. The consequences of age discrimination are that older people are missing out on opportunities in the workplace. Equally, organizations are missing out on highly motivated, skilled and knowledgeable individuals who could move their business forward. Unless organizations shift the way they think and act not only will they have problems in relation to breaking discriminatory laws, they will not have a workforce that mirrors population distribution.
