In some countries, it is illegal for employers to reject the people applying for jobs because of his/her age. Do you think it is a positive or negative development?

In some countries, it is illegal for employers to reject the people  applying for jobs because of his/her age.  Do you think it is a positive or negative development?

In many parts of the world, businesses are forbidden from turning down job applications because of the age criteria. While this may fetch some benefits, it is likely to be detrimental at large; it will expose companies to numerous complications and hamper their productivity.  

A school of thought has welcomed this move, for it believes that now the elderly and the freshers will not have to struggle to make their ends meet, and become vulnerable to mental trauma, or partake in criminal activities, respectively, owing to financial hardships they might have to face due to lack of job. Moreover, this could save policy makers humongous money, otherwise spent on affording pensions and unemployment support, besides healthcare facilities.

Nevertheless, the impediments this policy poses are far more profound than the rewards it promises; the organizations will be robbed of the leverage of shortlisting appropriate candidates as per the occupational requirements. This could jeopardize the operations, expose the workforce to hazardous situations, and eventually, unfavorably impact the profitability because the workers hired may lack necessary experience, or mental and physical endurance to negotiate the tasks appropriately. 

Similarly, this is likely to result in companies bearing the burden of extending healthcare support, especially to the freshly hired aged personnel, to ensure that they do not fall sick due to work pressure. It will certainly result in extra unnecessary expenditure, thereby shrinking profits. To corroborate, undeniably, a majority of health support spending in various commercial organizations are allocated to aging employees.       

In hindsight, while anti-age discrimination norms may yield some advantages, their application is likely to undermine functional and financial viability of enterprises. Therefore, their adoption is a disadvantageous introduction, and thus, they should not be made universal, but based on typical industry requirements sans physical hazards.