Older Workers: Ambivalence and Interventions

Ambivalent attitudes toward older workers are to be found in society at large, in the organizations where they work, and among older workers themselves. This article explores the nature and scope of this ambivalence on these three levels and concludes that the primary need is for age neutrality in the workplace. It is at this level that interventions designed to enhance age neutrality are most feasible, resulting in improvements in the quality of aging as well as in the lives of workers of all ages. Several types of specific interventions are described and discussed, ranging from performance appraisals to postretirement employment opportunities.