"Ageism is the new sexism".

Do women generally have it worse in old age? Are there social structures for old people from the LGBTQ+ community? And are old people structurally disadvantaged in the workplace, even discriminated against because of their age? The list of topics of the think tank "Age is just a number... really?" of the non-profit association Swiss Diversity is extensive: "Age discrimination is the new sexism," says Ellen Kocher, guest speaker at the think tank and author of a book on the 50+ generation in Switzerland.

At this think tank, other well-known people met on March 20 at the University of Bern to discuss problems, trends and possible solutions around age discrimination. The participants came from a wide range of industries: Stefan Gal, Co-Lead Diversity at Swisscom, Michael Hoekstra, President of the City Council of Bern, and Ines Hartmann, Co-Director of the Competence Centre for D&I University of St. Gallen, were among them.

When gender or the past determines the future

"Old people still have the prejudice that they block new things and thus make innovation impossible," says Christiane Bisanzio, jury president of Swiss Diversity and co-founder of the think tank. But older people are not the only ones who have to contend with prejudice. Women, for example, often have poorer pensions in old age because, on the one hand, they are disadvantaged by the gender pay gap, and they are also still increasingly responsible for childcare and household chores. Work that is socially very valuable, but does not entail contributions to the 2nd pillar.

In most cases, however, it is worth looking at people's socioeconomic and cultural histories to understand age discrimination. People from financially weak households tend to be less educated and are more likely to find low-paying and physically demanding jobs later in life, such as in nursing or skilled trades. The consequence: in old age, bodies are broken down by physical exertion, and pensions are barely enough to live on for many.

The 4-day week: a solution for all generations?

In addition to all the problem areas, the Think Tank focused on possible solutions. One prominent example: the controversial 4-day week. "We are convinced that all generations would benefit from a 4-day week," says Bisanzio with conviction. The business community is not entirely averse to the new working time model either: "The health of employees in particular would benefit from a 4-day week - regardless of which generation they come from," says Bisanzio. Healthy employees are less likely to be absent from work. For companies, however, it is essential that productivity does not suffer as a result of a 4-day week.

Which solution it is in the end, however, is not too decisive for the association, and so Stephan Lendi, co-founder of Swiss Diversity and moderator of the think tank, ended the evening with the words: "It is important that the various problem areas of age discrimination are increasingly brought into the discourse. This year's theme, "Age," is ideal for this because it is intersectional and thus appeals to a broad target group, even within the various diversity fields."

Source and further information: Swiss Diversity