Davis P O, Dotson C O
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1987 Apr;19(2):179-85.
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act has raised the issue of Bona Fide Occupational Qualifications for employment in the public safety sector. Complicating the issue is the number of lawsuits filed for violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. Physical performance testing as an alternative to arbitrary age limitations is considered for physically demanding tasks in fire fighting, law enforcement, and the military. Tests with criterion-related validity are presented that are useful for screening new applicants and for periodic re-evaluation of incumbents. Extensive testing in our laboratory, in concert with the literature review, support the observation that age is a poor predictor of performance across the full range of employment years. It is concluded that individuals who are otherwise healthy, with proper attention to their lifestyles, can develop and maintain the necessary physiological profile to successfully execute the duties of physically demanding jobs well into their advancing years.
《就业年龄歧视法》引发了公共安全部门就业中真实职业资格的问题。因违反《就业年龄歧视法》而提起的诉讼数量使这一问题变得更加复杂。对于消防、执法和军事等对体能要求较高的工作，体能测试被视为替代任意年龄限制的一种方式。文中介绍了具有效标关联效度的测试，这些测试有助于筛选新申请人以及对在职人员进行定期重新评估。我们实验室的大量测试以及文献综述均支持这样一种观点，即在整个就业年限范围内，年龄并不能很好地预测工作表现。结论是，身体健康的人，只要适当关注自己的生活方式，就能培养并保持必要的生理特征，从而在步入老年后仍能成功履行对体能要求较高工作的职责。
