Combat Ageism in the Workplace

Disclaimer

Throughout the MPA process, more than 100 proposals were developed thanks in particular to thousands of hours of work by external stakeholders and members of the public. These proposals and the MPA Council commentary are being submitted to the Governor and shared with policymakers and the public to inform policymaking. These proposals represent a starting point for discussion. Further discussion is necessary between relevant state agencies and stakeholders to both refine these proposals and assess which may be appropriate to adopt and implement.

Summary

Create mandatory training on ageism and aging for the New York State workforce which could be expanded to include all employers on a voluntary basis and an ageism public awareness campaign to address ageism in the workplace.

Justification

Ageism negatively impacts aging New Yorkers in the workplace. To reduce the effects of ageism, require workplace training on ageism for the New York State workforce, make the training available to all employers, and create a public awareness campaign to improve awareness of ageism, as well as best practices to avoid ageism in the workplace.

Full Proposal

Address ageism in the workplace:

• Create mandatory training on aging and ageism, which outlines its prevalence and most common forms of ageism in the workplace.
  • For New York State workforce, the training will be required and accessed through the Statewide Learning Management System (SLMS).
  • The training could be expanded to include all employers on a voluntary or mandatory basis and accessed through existing training platforms.
• Create a public awareness campaign for employers and employees to improve awareness and knowledge of the signs of ageism in the workplace. The campaign will inform the workforce about avoiding ageist practices and making the workplace more age-affirming.
  • This campaign should include Know Your Rights messaging for employees.

MPA Council Commentary

This proposal is categorized as near-term. Proposed first steps for implementation could include the development of an aging and ageism training. If successful, this training would expand the existing work between NYSOFA and DOL. Proposed metrics for evaluating implementation success could include a greater awareness of how ageism may be present in the workplace and avoidance of ageist practices. Any additional resources or funding allocations would be subject to the annual budget process and available resources.