Threat of Costly Age Discrimination and Older Worker Issues Gains National Attention

DENVER (August 20, 1998) -- Two hundred million dollars and growing. That is the amount spent by corporate America in a series of high profile lawsuits since 1996 for legal awards and settlements--not for race discrimination, not for sexual harassment cases but for age discrimination in the workplace. And, that amount does not include the formidable price tags for legal fees, managers’ time and damage to the organization’s public image.

Sheldon Steinhauser, a Denver-based consultant specializing in age discrimination issues recently authored articles on the subject in two nationally recognized human resource publications:
HR MAGAZINE published by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and HR Focus, a publication of the American Management Association (AMA).

The issues of age stereotyping and discrimination, as well as the demographic realities of the aging workforce, are finally beginning to get the attention they warrant,” said Steinhauser, associate professor of sociology at The Metropolitan State College of Denver and president of Sheldon Steinhauser & Associates. Costly litigation is proliferating needlessly. Companies will become increasingly dependent on the quality, skill and work ethic of older workers. Corporate leadership is waking up to the gravity of this matter and is realizing they can act to reduce or eliminate age discrimination and the more subtle forms of bias.”

In "Is Your Corporate Culture in Need of an Overhaul," a cover story in the July 1998 issue of HR Magazine, Steinhauser addresses the monetary impact of age discrimination in the workplace as well as the influence of the aging baby boomer population on the workforce. He points out, for example, that while about 20 percent of all discrimination charges filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) are for age discrimination, settlements and jury awards are substantially higher than those awarded for race discrimination, sex discrimination or disability cases. The article offers tips to employers for developing an implementation plan to deal with age bias and prevent age discrimination in the workplace.

In the August 1998 issue of HR Focus, Steinhauser urges corporate managers to take a long, hard look at their organizations in order to recognize whether or not the "age bias pendulum" is swinging their direction. The article, "Minimizing Your Potential for Age Discrimination Lawsuits," offers practical suggestions for assessing an organization's culture, evaluating the issues and building an action plan.

SHRM is a worldwide professional association of human resource professionals with more than 100,000 members and more than 440 chapters in 50 states. AMA serves approximately 70,000 members -- corporations, organizations and individuals who are interested in the methodology and best contemporary management practices.

Sheldon Steinhauser & Associates conducts on-site seminars and workshops, and provides non-legal consulting services for corporations and other organizations to assist them in recognizing and preventing, or reducing, ago discrimination in the workplace and more effectively utilizing older workers.

For more information, call (303) 220-5699 or email SheldonS3@aol.com.