The readers of Older, Bolder & Better! are committed to treating others with respect and kindness, regardless of gender, race, sexuality, age, ethnicity, or ability. Not only are the people I know compassionate towards humans, but they also extend their kindness to animals. Last Spring, my neighbors rescued a bearded dragon named Dracarys who escaped his habitat and wandered into the street. Neighbors took him in while others made a post on the neighborhood FB page. The reptile was soon reunited with this thankful family.
Age discrimination remains a prevalent issue in the workplace. We have friends and family members turning to us for support and advice as they experience age bias for the first time. It seems inconsistent, that younger colleagues fight other forms of discrimination and engage in age bias according to 2023 research by Stanford University.
The result is limited hiring, training, and promotion opportunities for older workers. Yet, the EEOC reports a steady decline in charges filed from 24,582 in 2008 to 12,965 in 2021. Workplace experts explain the instances of age discrimination are not declining employees are filing fewer charges. In 2021, the EEOC and U.S. Justice Department issued guidance to employers to ensure artificial intelligence is used with care (human review, Brenda’s words) to not unfairly discriminate against people with disabilities. This would also apply to older applicants.
During my decade in Human Resources, I fielded heartbreaking calls regularly from workers in their early 50s being pushed out of large corporations. I recommended they sign the release paperwork, accept the severance, and find a job where they are celebrated, not tolerated. In retrospect, was I wrong?
“Ageism is so pervasive; it is one of the most socially accepted forms of discrimination,” according to Rosie Evans-Krimme at CoachHub, a digital coaching platform. It leads me to wonder if the generation that grew up singing, “Sticks and stones may break my bones; but words will never hurt me,” tolerates bad behavior by managers and co-workers because they need a steady paycheck and benefits for their family. By staying in an intolerable situation, what is the risk to their physical and mental health?
Since the pandemic, employees have increasingly requested hybrid or remote work assignments instead of returning to their offices. There is also a new phenomenon in the workplace called “quiet quitting.” Employees complete their minimum assigned tasks and work enough to avoid a performance improvement plan without going above and beyond. Many quiet quitters are interviewing and hoping to escape.
Workplace ageism also has a gender impact. “Women in Leadership Face Ageism at Every Age” appeared in Harvard Business Review in June 2023. “While men became wells of wisdom as they age, older women are seen as outdated, harpy, strident,” one physician noted in the article.
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) protects applicants and employees 40 years and older. According to AARP research asking workers between ages 45 and 74, most believe age discrimination begins when workers enter their 50s. Although 22% of their respondents believed age discrimination begins even earlier.
Although I am happily retired, our friends and loved ones have to navigate a tumultuous work environment. We can cheer them on from the sidelines. Listening, being encouraging, and not trying to compare our careers from the 1980s and 1990s to today is a start. What are your strategies to support friends and loved ones struggling at work?
(Note to readers: This was intended for automated publication on 3/3/24. I clicked 3/3/25 which has nothing to do with being older, everyone makes mistakes. See you next weekend!)