'OK boomer'

“OK boomer” is a soundbite that shot to popularity in 2019 as an internet meme that dismisses or mocks attitudes of older people. It is typically offered in response to an older person providing unsolicited advice, and is meant to characterize them as out of touch with the modern world, incapable of accepting change and resistant to technological advances.

Although they aren’t the oldest generation (the Silent Generation comes before them), boomers seem to be the most picked upon. It could simply be because there are a lot of them. For the past few decades, baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1965 during the post-Second World War baby boom) have accounted for the most populous age group in Canada, making them seem as though they have the strongest voice.

It’s also not helpful that younger people see a group that was able to gain an education for practically a pittance, afford a single-family home on one income and that was provided job security, advancement options and retirement plans in their careers, all things that now feel out of reach for the average young person.

What’s ironic, however, those so-called out-of-touch “boomers” could have also been involved in helping legalize same-sex marriage and recognizing gay people as actual humans. They may have donated to fledgling environmental groups when such a thing was seen as radical, or contributed to increasing the number of women in the workforce and fighting for their equal pay.

But that does not stop generational friction in the workplace, even though the paradox is that there is a resistance to aging for everyone, especially because it’s clear how older people will be treated. Generalizing generations is very easy, but integrating them is very hard. Honing in on how this impacts the workplace, some evidence points to employers helping to facilitate a strong multi-generational workforce, one that works together and recognizes the strengths all ages provide.

Never ever show your age

Searching for work at any age isn’t fun, but job hunting as an older person is possibly the worst. Older people are removing the years of their education and employment from their resumés, or even taking positions out altogether in an effort to seem younger than they are.

Dr. Rose Joudi, PhD, is a Certified Professional Consultant on Aging and a faculty member with MRU’s Department of Psychology. Like other forms of discrimination, she says ageism can be subtle, and it can happen before someone even applies for a job. Joudi says oftentimes job postings can be ageist in their language, using words like “vibrant” and “tech savvy” in their search for candidates who are “versed in social media trends.” The wording of such postings are inherently ageist because “indirectly they don’t want applications from older people.”

Within the workplace, the older population may be ignored when it comes to advancement and promotion, according to Joudi, especially if there is a concern that they are close to retirement and will just be leaving anyway. Older workers are often overlooked for roles, offered fewer on-the-job opportunities and experience a variety of stereotypes. This can lead to mental-health impacts and increased stress.

A common misbelief is that older workers aren’t as technologically proficient or trainable as younger workers. While some older workers may need more time to adopt new technology, many have been at the forefront of huge technological advances in the workplace, including the wide-spread adoption of personal computers in the ’80s, the introduction of the internet and email in the ’90s, the implementation of social media and Google in the 2000s, and so on.

Performance reviews can also be used by some organizations to tacitly pressure someone to retire or even implement an age-based termination.

“It could say that their performance is not on par or is different than in the past,” such as slower or less detail-oriented, Joudi says. The pink slip won’t say “too old,” but instead the company may be “restructuring” or “abolishing a position.”

Aging in the workplace can be especially hard on women. Canadians were shocked when CTV chief news anchor and senior editor Lisa LaFlamme was suddenly no longer with the network where she had been a staple for 35 years. A Globe and Mail exclusive revealed that a senior executive had apparently questioned LaFlamme’s decision to “go grey” during the pandemic. Bell Media denied the decision had anything to do with LaFlamme’s age or gender, however it was pointed out that LaFlamme’s contract was cancelled by CTV when she was 58 while news anchor peers Peter Mansbridge stayed until the age of 69 and Lloyd Robertson retired at 77.

The psychological impacts of ageism can be impactful and detrimental. Older people can internalize it and really believe that they don’t have as much to offer.

Avivah Wittenberg-Cox, a thought leader specializing in gender and generational balance, appeared on the Future Tense podcast’s Sept. 19, 2024 episode titled, “Saying goodbye to ageism — the last ‘acceptable’ prejudice.” She says, “I think it’s quite astonishing to find the negativity around one of humankind’s biggest success stories. We have gained on average 30 years of life expectancy. Why we are seeing that as negative is rather beyond me. Now, we have to catch up with our technological powers of extending our lives by just redesigning our systems to keep up with just how long we’re going to live, which is probably a lot longer than people think.”

Workplace systems must be redesigned as they were set up for those highly productive years that generate a lot of economy for a business between the ages of 20 and 40. Maureen Wiley Clough, host of the podcast It Gets Late Early: Aging in the Tech Industry cites the “huge preference for youth” particularly in tech companies when it comes to hiring practices, retention, and promotions of employees past the age of 40 years and oftentimes for women it’s younger than that.

Forced work withdrawal

Retirement, although often framed as the “golden years,” is also the result of ageism. At its core, retirement could be viewed as paying seniors to quit their jobs to allow for younger workers to take their positions.

Mary-Lou Weisman’s slightly tongue-in-cheek article, “The History of Retirement, From Early Man to A.A.R.P.,” published in The New York Times in 1999 states:

It was the world-renowned physician William Osler who laid the scientific foundations that, when combined with a compelling economic rationale, would eventually make retirement acceptable. In his 1905 valedictory address at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he had been physician-in-chief, Osler said it was a matter of fact that the years between 25 and 40 in a worker’s career are the ‘’15 golden years of plenty.’’ He called that span ‘’the anabolic or constructive period.’’ Workers between ages 40 and 60 were merely uncreative and therefore tolerable. He hated to say it, because he was getting on, but after age 60 the average worker was ‘’useless’’ and should be put out to pasture.

As we live longer, the concept (and timing) of retirement is becoming more questionable. With an average Canadian lifespan of 82.6 years and the retirement age currently set at 65, saving for 20-plus years of not working is a challenge. And in reality, a lot of people simply don’t want to stop working at 65 because they are “supposed” to.

Gregory — the three-time Mount Royal alumna (Studies in Aging Certificate, Social Work Diploma and Bachelor of Arts — Sociology, earned while in her 50s) — has some thoughts on retirement. As a research assistant with MRU’s Centre for Health and Innovation in Aging, she is passionate about reversing the negative connotations around getting older. Retirement should be more like a re-imagining, a reframing of work past a certain age, she says.

But in terms of actually retiring things, “I’d like to retire the word ‘senior,’ ” Gregory says, who will appear in an episode of MRU’s Office of Alumni Relations’ Big Ideas podcast series titled “Aging Well” in January.

Fostering an intergenerational society

Diversity in ages brings positive qualities to the workplace. Paul Irving, founding chair of the Center for the Future of Aging at the Milken Institute and scholar in residence at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, describes younger workers as providing speed, creativity and risk taking characteristics. On the other end, he describes older workers as bringing balance, multi-sectoral problem-solving and opportunity-creating skills, and the understanding of how to navigate environments to get things done.

“There’s research that suggests that intergenerational teams or mixed-age teams actually outperform aged teams of any age,” Gregory says. “We diminish the talent pool when productivity is conflated with age.”

Combating ageism requires a multi-pronged approach. The topic of aging requires buy-in or participation at all levels: the micro (individual), the meso (organizational) and the macro (societal).

When it comes to the workplace, hiring and promotional practices should focus on competencies and transferable skills as opposed to age. Equity, diversity and inclusion strategies should also consider age and include training that increases awareness about stereotypes and biases towards older people.

Leaders of intergenerational teams could also benefit from training to understand different generational needs. Through that training they will learn to shift their communication and leadership style accordingly to ensure a flourishing work environment where everyone feels valued.

Government policy can also play a role through adjusting the concepts of retirement and helping (not hindering) workplaces in retaining older workers.

Another way is to face ageism head on. “Having young people and older people sitting around the table and addressing their stereotypes and hopefully finding commonalities,” Joudi says.

Gregory advises younger people to consider a future in gerontological positions, as well.

“There are going to be more and more coming on board, so it would be really beneficial for students, upcoming students, to invest in that.”

Challenging ageism means recognizing it exists in all levels of life.

“Understand that being an older or aged adult is something everyone is destined for. For younger people who may see old age as a far-away land, consider its relevance to where you are now in life and cultivate an awareness of living in an aging body,” Gregory says. “Noticing older people and listening to their stories can help inspire the young to begin preparing for a long life and to value those who are closer to the end of it.”

Special thanks to Gillian Hynes, former assistant professor of human resources in the Bissett School of Business, who also provided her thoughts and guidance for this article.