Workplaces torn by 'age rage'

Aug 03 2004 by Brian Amble Print This Article

Inter-generational conflict at work – or workplace age rage – is the latest workplace affliction to attract the attention of researchers, according to Sean Coughlan writing in the Guardian.

Roughly paraphrased, it seems that older staff think they are doing all the work, while the young ones think their colleagues are a bunch of grumpy killjoys.

When older workers were invited to talk about younger colleagues, they revealed a deep hostility, saying that too many young people showed symptoms of a "bad attitude".

Young workers were accused of expecting everything to be given to them, without giving anything back.

Older workers resented younger workers who, they thought, were the annoying products of over-indulged childhoods.

The Guardian | When an angry staff puts the age into rage