Would the ageing population comment at work be considered ageist?

[theninthwave]

I am 60 years old and the company I work for has recently been brought out by an American company. Recently I had to attend line manager training for recruitment and one of the subjects brought up by a participant was about what to do when recruiting someone if they didn't have access to email (the company uses DocuSign for contracts).
This guy mentioned that some of his potential drivers were 58 (oh no!) and didn't have email addresses - not sure what their age has to do with this???
As if this wasn't bad enough the person doing the training (quite senior in rank, but probably mid 30s) responded by saying, "Ah yes, the aging population." !!
Myself and another 'older' lady on the course exchanged glances, and this has bothered me ever since. When I joined the company as an experienced 59 year old manager the function was a mess - I have since sorted it out and got it organised. In addition, the majority of new recruits and contract staff are over 50. They seem to be totally reliant on the over 50s to get the work done, but obviously see us as 'the aging population'.
I have also had to attend meetings with younger representatives from the US who have been rude and condescending. I've worked for US companies twice in my career and have both times decided to leave. Trouble is I only need to stick it for another three years or so, then I'll be a position to go self employed doing something I'll enjoy much more and that will take me into my older years.
Two questions - would the 'aging population' remark be considered ageist, and should I complain (may seem petty but it's what attitudes underlie it isn't it?), and do I stick it out or start to look elsewhere (I still get a lot of agency calls about jobs)?

@ScreamingabdabzIt was mildly derogatory and not directed at the employees, so indirect. A bit of a hurt feeling but it’s really just being offended because you can be.

If your daughter has a bank account, she almost certainly has an email address. Virtually all services and utilities are internet based now and communication is through email.

If she's running a stud, her clients will expect to communicate with her via email.

@saraclara I doubt a commercial stud would give the job of manager to a 17 year old! Just would not happen. It’s a hobby “stud” and the owners run it!

I agree OP but then I think the same about the many threads calling the younger generation snowflakes and how all the graduates at work are useless etc.

No one seems to take ageism seriously and I think if you raised these comments you’d come across as overly sensitive.

We use this phrase. When we look at the total workforce we recognise we have an ageing population so need to bring in younger employees, as we need to ensure we have a mixed demographic and also enough experience in the company when people retire.

I don’t see it as ageist, simply factual.

Knowledge transfer or knowledge diversity would be a better phrase I think that "ageing".

I’m not sure that covers it to be honest. And I doubt anyone would understand what it means. The reality is if your workforce is forecast to retire over the next decade you need to ensure you bring in younger employees to ensure you can continue to operate. No one should be sensitive about this. The word ageing is not an insult.

I'd say not having email is more likely to be because they work as drivers and have wives who do all the household admin so have never needed them, than because of their age.

58yo and working is not what "aging population" means.

You are looking for something to be upset by. They may have been slightly clumsy in language choice but you need to toughen up.

I think it's an extremely minor comment to be obsessing about. And no, I'm not young, I'm in my 50s too and have learnt to not get irate about every little thing.

I don’t know what 58 has to do with having no email? We were literally in our 20s when email became prolific.

I don’t really understand the phrase “the ageing population” in the context he used it. That phrase is usually used to refer to demographic change (more older people, fewer younger people, meaning that the average age of a member of the population increases). It’s not a term that just means “old people”.

Yes you should be thinking about people without internet access. Lots of factors affect that so better not to define it as an age issue.

There are many workers who are doing things like driving and warehouse work and building work and farming where there are probably loads of uses for email, but it's mostly not essential for what they do, so they've never bothered. That's more a function thing than an age thing.

There is an issue with adult literacy for some people, too, whuch is probably another reason some avoid getting email. Again, not because of age.

Assuming the reason someone hasn't got email because of their age is ageist I probably wouldn't report it. I would probably note it for the future, if anything else comes up.

Wow! You mean like current pensioners paid for the generation before them? Like many current pensioners still pay tax? Do you have children? If so I have, and still am contributing towards your maternity care, your child allowance, you and your children’s health care and your children’s education. So you can eff off with your bigoted views.

This guy mentioned that some of his potential drivers were 58 (oh no!) and didn't have email addresses - not sure what their age has to do with this???

My IL in mid 70s not particualrly tech savy have e-mail addresses and shop on-line. MIL is very anti tech TBH - was hard to get her to use a kindle but she does now and even she has an e-mail address.

Mum 78 said HCP in hospital acted like it was odd she could order on-line. We had it before Dad died district nurses decided Mum couldn't leave house either despite it being Dad housebound - and then acted off when they asked how they were getting things - and answer - on-line delivery. Dad was a CAD designer before retirement so hardly a tech novice. Though recent HCP were recommending amazon for equipment support - so not a universal view.

I was very surpised on a recent course to find a woman in her late 40 who struggled with all things computer related - she ducked out while at school using them and had manged with jobs to avoid till now and was desperately trying to catch up with very low confidence.

Frankly I supect the 58 year old do have e-mail addresses - as DH family are all trade people and drivers and even the one in 70s do. Hopsital and GP appointments are often more done by computers/online these days and and council or ultitles increasingly want e-mail address for services as well.

So ‘mildly derogatory’ is ok then? How about if we were ‘mildly’ racist or ‘mildly’ sexist? Are we never allowed to remind our colleagues of their unconscious prejudices?

I agree. The boomers despite their many issues, were the first generation to pay NIC for all their working lives. Their parents got state pensions without paying any NICs. They felt doing a war for a few years meant the youth should support their old age. It’s why the current state pensioners especially feel they are entitled to a state pension. They were the first to be asked to pay for a generation that paid in zero with the promise that the next generations after them, would pay for them.

Many young people do not use emails very often, and some actively avoid it.

You can set up accounts and buy things on the internet with your phone using an App that is linked to your phone number and never actually need an email.
Most things you have a choice to be given purchase info and delivery updates by SMS, App notification or email. The same for 2FA, can be SMS a code to your phone, can be simply a digital wallet so you click and put in a pin, it can be biometrically approved with face or finger recognition, you can have a digital passkey…so many different authentication methods out there, even entire Apps that provide the authentication- so having an email is not technically necessary for everything online and the demand to be able to securely shop and bank online without an email is there.

Many young people today are viewing email the same way Gen X viewed snail mail.

No, this isn’t true. National insurance contributions began in 1912. In 1948, the Attlee government introduced the system that we are familiar with now. That means that people of my parents’ generation, born, say, from 1928 onwards, who were children during the war, were paying right from the start of their working life.

It has always been the case that national insurance contributions fund the benefits payable at the time they are taken. People paying now fund the pensions being paid now. Throughout my working life, I have been paying for the pensions that were being drawn at the time I paid my NICs. It was absolutely nothing to do with people “doing a war“, a disrespectful expression for people who lived and whose families died in the war, expecting that people should support their old age because of that.

People wanted a new way of doing things and they were prepared to pay for it. It was unacceptable not to have a national health service, state education and a comprehensive state pension. Churchill had introduced widows and orphans pensions in 1928/29. He said that “Healthy citizens are the greatest asset any country can have.” I am not clear what his views about the NHS were. He has been said to have been against a free at the point of use NHS. He was, nevertheless, in favour of cradle to grave compulsory national insurance scheme.

I don’t know what you mean by boomers, of which I am one, having “many issues“. No doubt you’ll enlighten us and it won’t be complimentary. Congratulations on not having issues yourself.

For the avoidance of doubt, the pension began in 1909. Lloyd George introduced it. Here’s the history.

My niece is 30, has worked with horses since she was 17 and only ever uses the Internet on her phone.

I don't understand how someone installs any apps on their phone without having an email address. Don't you need an email address to access either of playstore/Appstore? Definitely need an email address as apple id on iphones.

In public health, "older adults" means age 50+ btw. The age point when having good habits matter a lot to your health.

In 5 years, the oldest millenials, the first "digital natives", start to turn 50. "Aging population" phenomenon means that most people age 50+ will be digital natives by about year 2045. That's what I would have understood when someone said "aging population" about digital literacy.

What is the solution when DocuSign is usual practice but recipient doesn't have email or can't figure out how to make DocuSign work?

Idiots. I'm 63, been using computers since I was 24 and taught IT for ten years.

I was with you till your latest post, OP.

I think if this kind of thing is the extent of your work issues than you are fairly lucky all around.