Ageism, like racism and sexism, is a form of discrimination prevalent in the workplace. Ageism
manifests in attitudes, behaviour, institutional practices, and policies. This study focused on age
discrimination of older professional employees in the South African public service. The aim of
this qualitative research study, using thematic analysis methods, was to determine if there are
age-differentiated practices and policies in the workplace, from the older professional
employee’s perspective. A total of ten participants between the ages of 50 and 65 years were
selected from the workforce population of 2000 employees using purposive sampling. As part
of the study, the expert sampling method was employed to recruit social workers to participate
in a focus group session. The study was framed using Erikson’s Development Theory with
specific reference to the seventh stage of Generativity and Stagnation, and a systemic
understanding of ageing by applying the Person-in-Environment contextual perspective. The
main findings of the study indicated that the participant’s self-regard was influenced by their
perceived self-worth, level of integration in the workplace, and the value they place on their
accumulated professional knowledge and experiences. The research results will contribute to
social work knowledge about the older skilled professional person’s experiences in the
workplace and the support required to ensure appropriate accommodation.
