With Gen Yers breaking into the workforce at astounding rates, the office environment is becoming more diverse age-wise. Baby Boomers are now working beside a much younger and more ambitious Generation Y. With the vast difference in age, there can be miscommunications and differences in perspective. What seems appropriate to the Baby Boomers may be completely inappropriate to Gen Yers, and visa versa. Sure, older generations have their complaints about Generation Y – such as Gen Yers don’t respect their elders and are lazy at work, but despite the difference of opinion or one’s distaste with another generation, there are certain things that should not be said to younger co-workers.
Never Ask If They Are The New Intern
There is nothing more embarrassing than believing that you look professional and grown up and yet still getting asked if you are the new intern. I was asked this question once by a client that I had spent an hour in a meeting with. Not only did the question catch me completely off guard, but it made me feel completely incapable. I had to tell the client that I had recently graduated from college and started working, which was something that made me feel younger than I actually am. Being asked by someone in your company if you are the new intern would be even worse. Yes, the new person may look young, but never ask if they are an intern. Always assume that they are a full-time worker unless otherwise notified.
Never Ask, “So, how old are you anyways?”
Haven’t we all been taught that we never ask a woman her age? This rule applies to young women as well as old women. Sure, older women loved being carded and told that they look younger than they are, but younger women do not like having to explain to co-workers how they got such a great job at such a young age. Besides, age really shouldn’t matter in the workplace. The only thing that matters is productivity, and if the person is producing good work, who cares, right?
Never Say That Your Children Are Their Age
This comment is really inappropriate to make because it sends the message that you think of your younger co-worker as being your child and not an equal. This can make the younger employee feel uncomfortable and inferior, which is not good for team building.
Never Say, “This is the real world, kid”
At my first post law school job I was complaining to HR about the vacation system and how I had no idea that the vacation days had to be accrued based on days worked. I mean, how was I supposed to know that two weeks didn’t mean two weeks from the very first day I started working? Rather than being polite and explaining the system to me, the HR lady said, “what did you expect, this is the real world.”
I remember being completely taken aback by her comment and then overcome with emotion and embarrassment at the fact that she assumed I was acting like it wasn’t the “real world.” I wasn’t so much upset by the comment itself, but by the way the comment made me feel like a complete idiot. Being the emotional wreck that I often am, I ended up getting teary-eyed in the woman’s office, which created a whole other issue of embarrassment.
So, the lesson to learn is to never tell the younger co-worker “this is the real world, kid.” Not only will that hurt their feelings, but it will make your co-worker despise you.
Never Point Out The Fact That They Are Young In Front of Clients Or Executives
I remember sitting in on a meeting with a co-worker from my company and an older client. The two started talking about something that had happened in the 70’s, and the co-worker said, “she was way too young to know what happened then.” We all laughed about it and I didn’t make it seem like a big deal, but it made me feel uncomfortable and young. Yes, maybe I don’t “remember” what happened because I wasn’t alive, but that doesn’t mean I am not up on my history. Making comments about how young a co-worker is in front of a client or executive can make the client uncomfortable about working with that younger person and can make the executive doubt the co-worker’s abilities.
It is always important to be cognizant of the age differences in the workplace. Just as a younger employee should not make comments to older employees about them being alive in the Stone Age, older employees should not make comments suggesting that the younger employee is too young.
Have you ever experienced any of these comments?
Mrs. Professionalism 