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Is ageism a thing?

Elizabeth Exline

Written by Elizabeth Exline

When you embark on a career path, you鈥檒l probably foresee certain challenges. Maybe you know that you鈥檒l need a certain degree or that competition will be stiff for a certain role.

Other challenges are more subtle. They creep up on you when you think you鈥檝e finally hit your stride and are on your way to job security.

Like what challenges? you ask. Like ageism鈥攖he sometimes overt but more often tacit sidelining of experienced workers that, despite legal protections, plagues the American workplace.

Alice Rush, a career advisor with 七色视频 and a with 30 years of experience in private practice, has seen ageism more than once during her career.

She explains: 鈥淚n the 鈥90s, there was a switch from going for the gold watch like my dad did in corporate America 鈥 [to] outsourcing, downsizing, right-sizing and moving jobs overseas. 鈥 Unfortunately, what we saw in corporate America was the most expensive people, the older people, were the ones who were laid off. That鈥檚 who I was left with coaching and [who asked], 鈥楬ow do we navigate our careers when we鈥檙e 40-, 50-plus?鈥欌

Age, as it turns out, actually is more than just a number.

But while Rush acknowledges there are some 鈥渦gly truths鈥 about age discrimination, she says there are also ways to circumvent them.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 have to lie down and say, 鈥極K, well, I guess I should just give up,鈥欌 Rush contends. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really important to take the blinders off and see, yes, there is age discrimination. But where is there not? Where can I use my age to my advantage?鈥欌

The meaning of ageism

Age discrimination is exactly what it sounds like: using a person鈥檚 age as a basis for unfair treatment.

Or, as the puts it, ageism is 鈥渢reating an employee or applicant less favorably because of his or her age.鈥

To counteract ageism in the workplace, the Age Discrimination Employment Act prohibits using age as a basis for hiring, assigning work, promoting employees or terminating employees. It protects anyone 40 or older 鈥 but just how effective it is as a law is up for debate.聽

What age discrimination looks like

As with most forms of discrimination, knowing ageism exists and is illegal is one thing. Recognizing and combating it is trickier. Age discrimination takes a lot of different forms, including (but not limited to):

  • Job listings that use words like 鈥渆nergetic鈥 when describing the ideal candidate
  • Disparaging remarks by co-workers and management about your age, abilities or even retirement plans
  • Learning and development opportunities made exclusively available to younger employees

聽鈥淚t鈥檚 a product of ignorance in many ways,鈥 Rush explains.

The root of ageism

What鈥檚 so interesting about age discrimination, though, is that, according to Forbes.com, a those who most vociferously decry racism and sexism remain 鈥減rejudiced against older workers.鈥 (And the younger the study鈥檚 participants were, the more prejudiced against older workers they were.)

There are theories for why this occurs. For starters, society at large condones ageism. You only have to look at advertising campaigns to see it. (Hello, age-defying everything.) Or, as the notes, look as far as the birthday-card aisle, where being old is usually the punchline.

Then there鈥檚 the possibility that the generation that prides itself on not being racist or sexist harbors some prejudice against generations they perceive as upholding those very attitudes. 鈥淐ulture changes faster than consciousness,鈥 Rush notes.

Whatever the causes, the effects can be devastating. Feeling sidelined or excluded from the workplace can cause emotional distress, which Rush extrapolates to potential health problems down the road. Citing , Rush points out that, on the pyramid, a sense of belonging resides just above physical safety and biological needs like food and water.

鈥淲hen we don鈥檛 feel that sense of belonging, we go down to survival mode, which isn鈥檛 a good place to be,鈥 she says.

How to overcome ageism in the workplace

Unfortunately, ageism isn鈥檛 a rare occurrence. According to AARP, which cites data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics, 64% of workers say they have in the workplace.

鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 surprise me,鈥 Rush says. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 just think that, because age discrimination is illegal, it鈥檚 going away. [Instead] we need to go where we鈥檙e wanted and needed.鈥

Fighting ageist stereotypes

Ageism can occur at any stage of your career path, from the application process, when a company might institute a quota for recent college graduates (the implication being they can get newly educated talent at a relatively low price), right on through to near retirement when a company might unethically lay off an employee before he or she can claim a pension.

鈥淚 see this over and over again with my clients [who are] close to getting their pensions, and then they get fired,鈥 Rush laments. 聽

Among the many ageist stereotypes are the following:

  • Older employees who aren鈥檛 digital natives can鈥檛 understand technology.
  • Older employees lack physical fitness and stamina.
  • Older employees should 鈥渟tep out of the way鈥 of younger employees looking for opportunities.

While these attitudes are rooted in misconceptions and give rise to hurtful and damaging behaviors, Rush contends that empathy is the first necessary step toward combating age discrimination. Experienced candidates aren鈥檛 going to be a perfect fit for every role. That鈥檚 OK. Some companies can鈥檛 afford an experienced workforce, and some companies simply value different assets.

Be proactive as an older worker

But there are steps older workers can take to put their experience to good use. And that鈥檚 good news since 1 in 5 American workers is .

These measures include:

  • Stay sharp: Study job descriptions, Rush says. Pay attention to trends. And when you spot a vulnerability in your skill set, rectify it. Technology, for example, can be a pain point for older workers, but plenty of online courses are available that allow you to upskill quickly and economically.
  • Diversify your income: Just as you wouldn鈥檛 invest all of your retirement savings in one company, don鈥檛 depend on your employer for a golden parachute. Instead, create multiple revenue streams with freelance projects and side work. And don鈥檛 forget to network for your next gig (or job)!
  • Seek a mentor: 鈥淟ook at where the older workers are in your organization,鈥 Rush advises. The relationship can be informal, but observing how they move through the company and learning about opportunities from them can create a road map for your career.
  • Become a mentor: Find ways to add value. Maybe you share your hard-earned wisdom with the up-and-coming generation of co-workers. Maybe you serve as an internal consultant for your company, lending your expertise to teams outside of your own. Or maybe you go outside your organization altogether to serve as a leader for a professional organization. The idea is to leverage your knowledge in ways that are both useful and visible.

The advantages of an older workforce

Another effective method for combating age discrimination is seeking out opportunities that cater to an experienced worker鈥檚 strengths. Those openings tend to be in knowledge-based fields, Rush says.

鈥淚f you were going to go into heart surgery, would you rather have someone who had gray hair or who was right out of college,鈥 Rush asks.

Point taken.

Fields like healthcare, teaching, higher education and consulting are well suited to older workers who bring life and work experience to market.

There are, after all, plenty of employers who are buying what experienced workers have to offer. Some old-school skills that can be hard to come by in younger workers include:

Infographic outlining six advantages mature employees bring to the workplace

鈥淭hese old-fashioned skills of conflict resolution, collaboration, listening and communication, which just about every job is desperately seeking, that鈥檚 where we triumph as older workers,鈥 Rush says.

And that may just be the most important thing to remember: Being older means you鈥檙e a little bit wiser. You have a perspective recent college graduates may not have 鈥 and everyone wins when you collaborate rather than compete.

鈥淚 say, 鈥榃hy fight it?鈥欌 Rush concludes. 鈥淕o where you鈥檙e going to be welcomed.鈥

Portrait of Elizabeth Exline

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Elizabeth Exline has been telling stories ever since she won a writing contest in third grade. She's covered design and architecture, travel, lifestyle content and a host of other topics for national, regional, local and brand publications. Additionally, she's worked in content development for Marriott International and manuscript development for a variety of authors.