[Prejudice in performance evaluation of so-called elderly co-workers by supervisors]

This empirical interview study analyses the opinions of supervisors in an industrial company about their so-called elderly co-workers. These opinions are insofar relevant to the co-workers, as it is the direct supervisor who decides on the consequences of the real or supposed reduction in performance. The analysis shows that the beginning of a reduction in performance is set at the age of about 45-50 years. These and other opinions are dependent on various personal and situational factors as could be shown by means of a tree analysis.