Age Discrimination at Tesco: Impact, Signs, and Solutions

This report discusses the issue of age discrimination at Tesco, a multinational retailer. It explores the impact of age discrimination on employees and the company's performance. The report also identifies signs of age discrimination and provides recommendations to overcome this problem. It emphasizes the importance of maintaining a diverse workforce and treating all employees equally.

Decision Making and
Problem Solving

Executive Summary
Age discrimination at the workplace not only affects the overall performance of the firm,
but its profitability as well. Tesco, a multinational retailer of groceries has been facing issues
wherein its employees were being discriminated based on their age. There are many signs
through which this can be identified. Therefore, it is very important for the firm to manage the
situation and overcome it if it wants to survive in a highly competitive market.

Contents
Executive Summary...................................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................4
MAIN BODY.............................................................................................................................................4
Background of the company....................................................................................................................4
Management problem..............................................................................................................................4
Research Questions.................................................................................................................................5
Research Program....................................................................................................................................5
Research..................................................................................................................................................5
Analysis of findings.................................................................................................................................9
Alternatives and Recommendations to improve company’s performance...............................................9
CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES........................................................................................................................................10
Appendix..................................................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
Both decisions making as well as problem solving are important components within an
organization. The decision makers within an organization assist in making informed decisions
and promote its overall growth. On the other hand, effective problem solving allows the
management of the organization to define the problem clearly and address it appropriately. This
helps the company in achieving its goals and objectives in the desired way(Ansari and et. al.,
2018). Organization chosen for this report is Tesco, which is a British multinational retailer of
grocery products and general merchandise. The company was founded in the year 1919 by Jack
Cohen and is headquartered in England, United Kingdom. The report provides a brief
background of the company and identifies a management problem that it is facing. It also
includes a research program and an analysis of the findings. Apart from this, appropriate
alternatives and recommendations for the company are also included.
MAIN BODY
Background of the company
Tesco is one of the leading multinational retailers of general merchandise as well as
grocery products. The company is headquartered in England, United Kingdom and was founded
in the year 1919. Tesco is known for offering a wide range of products at affordable rates. Also,
it has a large base of customers who are loyal to it and trust the brand. The product offering of
the company is so large and caters to the needs as well as preference of the customers of different
age groups. It follows the pricing strategy of cost leadership, wherein it aims to become the
producer of lowest priced products. The company takes into account the feedbacks as well as
suggestions that are provide by the customers in order to make sure that they receive the best
possible service.
Management problem
Tesco is facing a claim regarding age and gender discrimination after it cut some
proportion of pay for employees who had been working for night as well as weekend for a long
period of time. A group of nearly 17 employees, who began their employment with the company
in the 1990s have been reported to taking action against the same(Bahr and et. al., 2020). These
employees were previously paid double for working the same number of hours until the company

introduced a change regarding the same. The respective company is claiming that the changes
brought in by it re justified as they were made in accordance with the outcome that was a result
of an agreement regarding the same (Tesco faces age and gender discrimination claim in
employment case, 2020). The problem affected other employees of the company as well as its
overall position against the competitors. Although, the company increased its wages for all the
workers, but at the same time standardized Bank Holiday and Sunday pay.
Research Questions
 What is the impact of age discrimination on the employees of the company?
 What are the signs for age discrimination within the workplace at Tesco?
 How can Tesco overcome the problem of age discrimination in its workplace?
Research Program
Secondary sources have been used to complete the research like online websites, books,
journals etc. The data that was gathered through various secondary sources was analyzed and
tailored according to the requirements of the research(Bardach and Patashnik, 2019). Secondary
data is readily available and help the researcher in saving a lot of time as well as money. Also,
secondary data helps in improving the overall understanding of the problem. The data collection
process did not take much time and helped in completing the research effectively.
Secondary methods of data collection allow the researcher to gather information that is
then tailored as per the requirements of the research.
Research
Impact of age discrimination on the employees of a company
Age discrimination can have an adverse impact on the employees as well as working
environment of the company. A discrimination among the employees based on their age can
result into poor working relationships among them. This can include the management of the
company refusing to hire older employees, treating them differently as compared to the young
staff embers etc. If a company discriminates among its employees, it is likely that it will lose out
on all the experience as well as knowledge that is possessed by the older people that could have
been put to good use in order to grow the business(Eide and et. al., 2018). This can lead to a loss
in the potential of the business to retain an employee for a longer period of time.

Age discrimination within a company cannot go unnoticed by other employees and thus,
it will create a negative work environment. As a result, the workers will be less interested as well
as engaged in their respective jobs. They will be concerned about losing their own jobs as a
result of their age or some other form of discrimination (The Consequences of Age
Discrimination at Work, 2020). Age discrimination can result into a loss of workers as well as
leading to the company being unable to achieve its targets and goals. And if the workers leave
the company, its overall productivity as well as performance will be affected. As a result, the
company will lose its competitive position as well as skills in the market. Employers who are
engaged in workplace discrimination based on the age of the employees, are at the risk of facing
legal consequences, negative business publicity as well as various allegations, as in the case of
Tesco.
Potential employers who are willing to work with the company, will also lose their
interest and might consider working for a competitor. The existing employees will start losing
their confidence as well as creativity(Glick and et. al., 2018). This can affect the overall
reputation of the company as well as its performance against the customers. This is because
when there is a diverse workforce, the company will be able to satisfy the needs and preferences
of the customers more effectively and gain their trust. The knowledge and experience possessed
by older employees of the company is much more than any young professional.
Ageism can increase the number of challenges for the company and act as a barrier for its
growth. When there are no older or experienced employees in the company, there will be no one
to mentor the young employees or any new joiners. As a result, those employees will find it
difficult or take some time to get along with the company and its various processes. They will
also think that they can lose their jobs anytime due to which they will not be able to focus on
their respective jobs. So, it can be said that age discrimination can have a negative impact on the
overall workforce of the company.
Age discrimination can be caused due to a variety of reasons and can result in a loss of
productivity as well as performance among the employees(Kammenand Hassenzahl, 2018).
Employees who have to deal with age discrimination at their respective workplace do not feel
like coming and doing their jobs. They start losing interest and becoming less confident. There
can also be a case wherein the employees feel like their years of knowledge as well as experience

is going to waste and they are of no use. There are various laws and legislation that are related to
not discriminating the employees based on their ages. This is because the amount of knowledge
and experience that is possessed any older employee is far more than a young new joiner to the
company.
Signs for age discrimination within the workplace at Tesco
There can be various signs that can help in identifying if there is age discrimination
within the workplace within a company. Employers or managers who speak to their employees
in a mean tone can make the employees feel less motivated and discouraged. Also, if a company
only hires young employees, it can be a sign that the management does not care for its
employees(Krishankumar, Ravichandranand Saeid, 2017).If the older employees of the company
are turned down for a promotion from time to time, it means that they are being discriminated
based on their age. This can affect the overall performance of the company as compared to the
competitors. There can also be situations wherein the older and experienced employees are over
looked for work assignments that are challenging.
There are many companies today, that deal with the problem of age discrimination at
their respective workplaces. This can make it difficult for it perform effectively in comparison to
its competitors. Since the older workers, who had been working for Tesco since a long period of
time were facing issues of age discrimination, they made a decision to take legal actions against
the company. Therefore, it is important for the company to manage the situation and make sure
that the employees working for it are satisfied with their respective jobs. There can also be the
case the senior employees are being harassed in front of the younger employees; this can also be
said to be an important sign of age discrimination at the workplace.A company can said to be
having age discrimination among its employees because if it turns down promotions for its older
employees.
Overcoming the problem of age discrimination by Tesco in its workplace
Age discrimination at the workplace can affect the overall performance as well
productivity levels of the employees within the company(Martz, Hughes and Braun, 2017).
Therefore, it is important for the selected company, Tesco to manage the situation of age
discrimination among its employees, otherwise it will have to deal with the consequences.In

order to do so, the management of the company should make an effort to maintain diversity in its
workforce. This will help it in addressing the needs of the customers in a more effective manner
and the company will also gain a competitive edge against competitors. The human resources
department of the company should ensure that the job descriptions are designed in an effective
manner. Apart from this, the company should also provide regular counselling to not only its
young employees, but older ones as well. This will help them in acquiring new skills and
remaining up to date about the different business processes.
The management of the company should understand that just because an employee is
older than others, they are ready for retirement. Also, the company should not cut any pay of the
employees based on their age and continue offering them their complete salary. The company
should also put the knowledge as well as experience of the older employees to good use that will
also help the company in its overall growth(Özgenel,2018). This will also allow the company to
expand its business and cater to the needs of the customers across various locations. Tesco
should conduct mentorship programs for its young employees wherein the older employees can
share their experience and useful insights. Similarly, the older employees should be assisted by
the younger employees, who can teach them to use technology in an effective way. Maintaining
a diverse workforce can help the company in building a working environment that is healthy as
well as positive. Also, the employees would be comfortable in working with each other.
Also, all employees within the company should be treated equally as this can help in
improving their overall morale as well as confidence. The older employees should make sure that
they seek help from other employees whenever they find anything that they are not able to do.
Age discrimination among the employees within a workplace can not only leave a negative
influence on its business processes, but also on the overall performance of the company. Tesco
should develop policies that are in place for the older employees working in the company. This
will include the company paying all its employees the same salaries for doing the same amount
of work. Once the policies and procedures are developed, the employees should e informed about
the same through various channels(Pinsof and et. al., 2018).Another way in which Tesco can
overcome the problem of age discrimination in its workplace is to reward both young as well as
older employees based on their performance in the company.

It is very important for Tesco to manage the age discrimination in its workplace if it
wants to maintain its competitive position in the market. The managers of the company should
promote team work within the work in order to make sure that all the employees are comfortable
in working with each other (Proctor, 2018). This will also contribute to its overall productivity as
well as profitability. Implementing new technology that is easy to use should be implemented in
the workplace so that the older employees can use the same in order to complete their tasks more
efficiently. During the hiring process, advice from older employees can be taken as they can help
in making effective decision. This will also allow a flexibility within the workplace and building
a diverse workforce. Asking age-related questions should be avoided and instead questions
pertaining to experience and knowledge should be asked to the applicants.
Analysis of findings
As per the above report it has been find out that there are different issues and problems
faced by company due to age discrimination practices. This type of activities in organisation
impact working environment and affect capabilities of employees. The major findings are
mention below –
Tesco company is refusing old age employee to hire within the company and it will lead
to impact on overall performance. Due to age discrimination practices respective company is
losing experiences and well knowledge employees. Experience of old employees is very
important for company as it assist in effective and efficient decision making process. This
organisation is refusing to select old age employee and age discrimination in recruitment and
selection process lead to negatively affect capabilities and potential of company to gain
competitive edge over other rival companies.
Age discrimination practices are affecting the working environment for performing day
to day activities of organisation (Rahman, 2019). Tesco employees are well aware about the age
discrimination practices with in the organisation and it is creating negative environment for
working. Due to this type of practices mostly employees are not able to give their full potential
and capabilities in business task. Negative working environment is directly affecting the
productivity and performance of Tesco company as employee are losing jobs due to age
discrimination activities.
It has been find out the ageism is the major challenge or barriers in the growth of Tesco
company. Due to this, company is not able to use skills and potential of all employees and it is

impacting on business operations. New joiners and young employees take more time to
understand business activities and process for conducting business. This is more time consuming
for Tesco organisation and affect accomplishment of goals in set time frame.
Alternatives and Recommendations to improve company’s performance
The alternative solution for Tesco Company in order to overcome the issues of age
discrimination is effective training and development of employees. It is important for respective
company to have alternative option in order to successfully conduct business activities as well as
enhance organisational task (Van Aken and Berends, 2018). Training and development of
employees will lead to have significant impact on improving employees capabilities and skills
for correctly conduct business task. Tesco company should providing training to all staff member
as per the need and requirement of employees. New or young people will be able to gain better
knowledge or information to conducting business activities in required manner. Training will be
beneficial for old age employees as they will be able to understand how to use new and update
technology in more effective manner. Training will help in improving the performance of all
employees as well as enhancing their capabilities to conduct task in correct and accurate manner.
Recommendations
As per the above report that are several recommendation for Tesco company that will be
effective for successfully conducting business task as well as improving employees potential. It
is important for manager of Tesco company to consider these recommendation for attaining
desired business goals. Recommendations are mention below –
Tesco company needs to develop effective policies in order to reduce age discrimination for
organisation. Each and every employee of company have to follow the policies for overcoming
barrier to growth. Anti discrimination policies in recruitment and selection will assist in finding
more capable and potential employee for conducting business task.
It is important for respective company to engage employees within business decision
making and operations. This will help in motivating employee to perform business task in more
effective manner (Zhang and et. al., 2018). Engagement of employees will lead to create positive
working environment as well as help in developing strong relationship with employees.
Through this staff member will be able to focus on their working and complete given task in
right time.

It is crucial that Tesco company in providing training to employees in regular interval. This
will assist in updating employees knowledge and information regarding their work as well as
help in increasing potential to effectively and efficiently conduct business task. Training will
assist in proving importance of anti discrimination in organisation.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it can be concluded that age discrimination can be a problem that
can affect the overall performance as well as profitability of a firm. There are many signs that
can indicate that if the employees within the company are being discriminated based on their age.
It can also impact the overall efficiency of the company because the employees might not be ass
productive as the younger employees. They will not be interested in coming to the workplace and
will be less engaged in their jobs. Therefore, it is important for any organization to manage the
age discrimination within the workplace if it wants to maintain its efficiency as well as
productivity within the competitive market. Since Tesco is a leading retailer, it should make
various efforts in order to overcome this problem. Therefore, this can help in maintaining the
overall profitability as well as performance against competitors.

REFERENCES
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to more effective problem solving. CQ press.
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health, and technological problem solving. Princeton University Press.
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Schiffbeck, A., 2020. The Spiritual “Freelancers”: Young People, Religiosity and Community
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Online
Tesco faces age and gender discrimination claim in employment case. 2020. [Online]. Available
through:< https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=376a55dc-c5c4-40d2-a6b1-
fc652b0144df >.

The Consequences of Age Discrimination at Work. 2020. [Online]. Available through:<
https://smallbusiness.chron.com/consequences-age-discrimination-work-15806.html >.

Appendix
Gantt Chart