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Kenya: How to Deal With Age Discrimination in the Workplace

Published

5 years ago

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Some of the questions being asked mostly by senior job seekers is ‘are you sure they will be keen to hire me?’ or ‘have you confirmed that they have not set any age limit?.

The bolder ones shoot straight and ask ‘ are you certain that there is no preference for high-energy candidates’ a cliché used by many employers to show a preference for younger staff.

Many organisations have elaborate policies in diversity and how to ensure there is equal opportunity for all employees — joining and serving — but hardly do these policies specifically mention age, other than in retirement policies.

While employment laws rule out discrimination of any nature, there are always undertones in some organisations around older employees and their perceived inability to adapt to change quickly.

With Covid-19 and the older persons categorised riskier to the infection, I wonder how many employers may be biased against this group when hiring or restructuring. We have heard statements in interview panels that conclude a candidate is overqualified, simply saying they have been working far too long. You probably have heard conclusions like ‘I doubt they will be a good cultural fit’ short of saying he or she is too old to fit in a youthful organisation.

I appreciate that there are many who thrive in helping others achieve their dreams, and there is nothing wrong with that, after all, if we were all job creators, whom would we employ? But sitting there and wishing age away and wallowing in self-pity will not work. How about seeking every opportunity to increase your competitiveness and solidify your position as a productive employee?