Mature workers: the digital age and age as reasons for social and labor discrimination

Abstract

It is well known that inequality is a problem that is characterised by its different forms of expression, but in a notorious way, through discrimination and the violation of the rights of a certain group. In the workplace, we can find that discrimination is clearly visible for various reasons, with age discrimination being the most frequent in companies and organisations, above that of gender, culture or race. However, in recent years, advances in the field of information and communication technologies have become another reason for discrimination. This is why we can find this type of discrimination in any country in the world, regardless of its social or economic development, as older workers make up a high percentage of the total number of employees worldwide. In approaching age discrimination as an object of study, it is impossible not to do so without linking it to demographic developments. According to a Eurostat report, by the year 2060, one third of the European population will be made up of people over 65 years of age, a high percentage of whom will have no training in new technologies. Similarly, the decrease in the population, the ageing of the population and the increase in life expectancy are circumstances that should lead to a reflection on the impact of age on the labour market. These particularities will have different consequences in the short and medium term, both in terms of benefits and care, but will also have a significant impact on employment. This is why there is a need to overcome the stereotypes that give rise to an erroneous conception of age as a negative employment factor, which is fundamentally based on the reduction of the physical and mental capacities of workers, resulting in a series of restrictions that lead to clear discrimination against this group of workers.