The ADEA is a federal law that prohibits discrimination against employees on the basis of age. The law applies to employers with 20 or more employees, and it protects employees who are 40 years of age or older.

The ADEA prohibits employers from discriminating against older workers in all aspects of employment, including hiring, firing, pay, benefits, and promotions. The law also prohibits employers from retaliating against employees who complain about age discrimination.

There are a number of reasons why organizations should consider accommodating older workers in the workforce. First, the population of the United States is aging. In 2018, there were over 40 million people in the United States who were 65 years of age or older. This number is expected to grow to over 88 million by 2050.

Second, older workers have a wealth of experience and knowledge that can be valuable to organizations. They are also more likely to be loyal and engaged employees.

Third, accommodating older workers can help organizations to avoid legal liability. The ADEA is a strict liability law, which means that employers can be held liable for age discrimination even if they did not intend to discriminate.

There are a number of ways that organizations can accommodate older workers. These include:

• Providing flexible work arrangements, such as telecommuting or flextime.
• Offering training and development opportunities to help older workers stay up-to-date on their skills.
• Creating ageist-free workplace culture that values the contributions of all employees, regardless of age.

As a human and social services professional, I believe that it is important to create social change by ensuring that all employees have a fair and diverse work environment. This includes ensuring that older workers are not discriminated against and that they have the opportunity to participate fully in the workforce.

I would do the following as a human and social services professional to create social change in this area:

• Educate employers about the ADEA and their obligations under the law.
• Help employers to develop policies and practices that are age-neutral.
• Provide training and development opportunities to help employers to create ageist-free workplace cultures.
• Advocate for policies that support the employment of older workers.

I believe that by taking these steps, we can help to create a more fair and diverse work environment for all employees, regardless of age.

Here are some examples from the literature that support the importance of accommodating older workers in the workforce:

• A study by the Society for Human Resource Management found that organizations that offer flexible work arrangements to older workers are more likely to retain those workers.
• A study by the American Psychological Association found that older workers who are given training and development opportunities are more likely to be engaged in their work.
• A study by the AARP found that workers who are treated fairly and respectfully, regardless of age, are more likely to be productive and satisfied with their jobs.

I believe that these studies provide strong evidence that accommodating older workers in the workforce is beneficial for both employers and employees.