Every Experience Counts!

Your personal observations help us better understand the situation in Switzerland and take action against age discrimination. In doing so, we also promote age inclusion, diversity, and positive relationships between generations. By collecting both negative and positive experiences, we can identify where change is needed and highlight what is already working well.

Age Discrimination

This section focuses on negative experiences such as unfair stereotypes, prejudice, or instances of discrimination based on age. Less obvious experiences, such as subtle forms of devaluation, are also important.

Age Inclusion or Age Diversity

This section focuses on positive experiences, such as fair treatment across all age groups and respectful interactions, serving as examples of good practice.

Examples of Negative and Positive Experiences

Age Limit for Adopting a Dog from an Animal Shelter (translated from German)

female, Zurich

I had wanted a dog for a long time. But while I was working, I was too busy and often away from home, so I felt it would be irresponsible to have one. When I stopped working, it finally felt like the right time to welcome a new member into my family.

I contacted an animal shelter because I knew many animals there are waiting for a new home. However, my attempt to adopt a dog was unsuccessful. I was told that I was too old to have a dog. This came as quite a shock. After all, I wasn’t looking for a puppy or a dog that needed daily marathon runs.

How could they make that decision based solely on my age, without knowing whether I could provide a suitable home? I was, and still am, angry and frustrated. In my view, this decision was based on a stereotype, which I consider unfair and discriminatory.

My New Manager Wanted to Replace Me (translated from German)

1959, male, Zurich

I had been working at the same company for 30 years when, at the age of 58, I was assigned a new manager.

I will never forget our first meeting. He came into my office, introduced himself, and told me that he planned to replace me with a younger woman. I was quite shocked. Before I even had a chance to respond, he said he had to leave for a meeting.

That evening, I didn’t feel well at all. What hurt most was that my experience and performance were not considered in any way. It was simply assumed that I could not be part of the company’s future, perhaps because I would not be able to drive new developments.

In the end, nothing came of it. Fortunately, the young woman he had in mind accepted a position elsewhere. This gave me the time to show what I was still capable of. It didn’t take long for my new manager to realise that he had a motivated, experienced, resilient, and loyal employee he could fully rely on.

Instead of assuming that someone at 58 can no longer keep up, it would have been important to take a closer look first. Motivation, skills, willingness to learn, commitment, and performance should have been properly assessed.

Cooking for Everyone at the Community Centre (translated from German)

anonymous

I have lived in the same neighbourhood in Zurich for many years. There is a local community centre here that regularly organises activities for people of all ages. Last autumn, I took part in a cooking evening there for the first time. I was surprised by how many people from the neighbourhood attended. I am 78 years old, and at first I felt a little unsure about what the atmosphere would be like and how I would be received. But my concerns were completely unfounded. Everyone was very open, interested, and included me in conversations right away.

These evenings show me how enriching exchanges with younger people can be. Everyone brings different perspectives and skills, and for me, that is exactly where the value lies. I would love to see more low-threshold opportunities like this. They not only promote mutual understanding but also strengthen the sense of community.

Share your experience in two steps

Describe your experience using the form below. Your personal information helps us contextualise the experience and will be stored anonymously.
You can then decide whether you would like to share more detailed information about the impact and context of your experience through a short survey, making a valuable contribution to research.

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Further questions about the project?

You are welcome to contact us at any time.

UZH Healthy Longevity Center
University of Zurich
Stampfenbachstrasse 73
CH-8006 Zurich
E-Mail: jedesalter@dynage.uzh.ch