Ageism is stereotyping and discrimination against individuals or groups based on their age. Ageism can take many forms, including prejudicial attitudes, discriminatory practices, or institutional policies and practices that perpetuate stereotypical beliefs (APA, 2020a).
While, legally, ageism is defined as discrimination against those aged 40+, reverse ageism literature also indicates that younger employees can also comprise a socially disadvantaged group that is likely to be exposed to workplace discrimination stemming from reverse-ageist ideologies (Kessler et al., 1999; Raymer et al., 2017).
To ensure age-based inclusivity, an individual’s age should only be mentioned when relevant to the situation. In addition, instead of using “old” or “young” as a placeholder for negative or positive attributes, use more direct language (e.g., “experienced,” “thoughtful”).