Ageism in the workplace; Expectations of younger staff

Early in my career I had the opportunity to observe the characteristics of organizational structures within the workplace. It became evident to me that younger employees are sometimes expected to work harder and for longer hours than their older co-workers. Whether intended or not, many employers and managers assume that because a younger employee is in fact, younger; that they have no personal lives to tend to after the work day ends.

I have witnessed several occasions that managers have pressed younger staff, (generally between 20-30 years old) to stay extra hours in order to get a project done or to provide company while the manager stays the additional hours. Of course, this is a completely unfair assumption by any supervisor. It can be quite the opposite for a younger employee. It's very possible that they may have parents to tend to, pets, siblings, children, or other personal obligations that they have chosen to keep private from their supervisors. My feeling is that all employees should really be treated equally in this matter. It should not be automatically assumed that a younger employee has the additional time to dedicate regularly or unexpectedly to the job.