A Jarring Idea

An organizational leader mentioned a song from the ’80s, then apologized to a younger employee, saying, “I’ll put a dollar in the Boomer jar.” Some laughed; I winced. Did this office consider older employees’ memories an offense?

Fortunately, I later checked with both co-workers and uncovered a misunderstanding: It wasn’t about reminiscence. In the past, some older employees had been caught making you’re-too-young-to-understand remarks. That’s what the jar was invented for.

Quite fair, really. (Though the name sucked.)

Anyway, after clarification, the whole idea was, well, retired. The lesson? …

Don’t be afraid to ask questions when ageism crops up.

Photo by Kier in Sight Archives on Unsplash