Age Descrimination Related to New Training and Technology

Mark Gehler

MGT 358

Final Report

AGE DISCRIMINATION RELATED TO NEW TRAINING AND TECHNOLOGY

INTRO:        

I decided to take a unique problem that many employers are going to face with the fast pace of new technology that’s being used and implemented in all aspects of professions that have not seen a change in decades in most circumstances. With every business sector becoming more competitive and globalized, many everyday functions are becoming more complicated with new technologies and managed by computer programs. Often, many experienced professionals are complacent with their current processes and are not familiar with the new technology being used; which creates a need for new training and performance standards that need to be met, which leads to new policies being implemented by the employer. Additionally, as technology advances it usually is made to make previous positions filled by an employee completely automated, to lower labor cost and the eventual need for that employee. Recently, I had firsthand knowledge of this type of restructuring and implementation with the merger of Albertsons and Safeway Inc., whom are both leaders in the retail grocery industry.

BACKGROUND:

According to Safeway’s website Safeway.com (2015), it is the 11th largest retailer in the United States that is made of over 2,200 stores and 250,000 employees throughout North America [post-merger]. Safeway is one of the top food retailers with over $40 billion worth of sales annually and is headquartered (currently) in Pleasanton, California. The company sales retail grocery products, which include produce, bakery, and meat goods and are sold in their traditional stores or online for home delivery. Depending on the location, many of its employees are unionized and are represented by several different Unions depending on their job classification, these Unions are Teamsters, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), and several bakers and engineering Unions.  In states such as California, almost every position is regulated by the negotiated collective bargaining agreement to include courtesy clerks (known traditionally as “baggers”), janitorial, deli workers, and Head Clerks running the checkouts.  With many of these positions being available to entry level applicants, it is a great option for those that are seeking good health benefits that come to little or no cost while working for Safeway, and are looking for something that offers a pension that they can work towards. Unfortunately, these kind of benefits for entry level positions are coming harder to find, and are the reason many of our employees remain with the company for many years which results in a workforce that is made up of a broad range of age groups.