Resume Now, a simple and effective resume and cover letter building service, has announced the findings from its 2024 State of Ageism in the Workplace report, which examines the prevalence and impact of age-related discrimination. The survey polled 1,003 U.S.-based workers over 40 and finds that 90% of respondents have experienced ageism in their workplace.
The report also delves into how ageism manifests in hiring practices, pay disparities, and workplace dynamics. The study also finds troubling negative emotional and financial effects on workers who experience age-related discrimination.
Key takeaways from the survey include the following.
- Nearly half (48%) report lower earning potential due to age-related discrimination.
- Most (91%) respondents consider taking legal action against their employers due to age-related discrimination.
- Almost half (45%) report experiencing feelings of isolation and loneliness due to ageism at work.
“With the vast majority of workers over the age of 40 experiencing age-related bias, it’s clear that ageism is a very large and unaddressed problem within the workplace,” says Heather O’Neill, career expert at Resume Now. “This high prevalence highlights the fact that current policies and workplace dynamics are failing to protect employees from age-related discrimination. To effectively combat this problem, we need stronger tools, more comprehensive education, and targeted training to put an end to this epidemic.”
While 90% of respondents have experienced ageism in the workplace, age-related bias is a broad umbrella that can manifest in many ways. The top forms age discrimination can take include:
- an employer that mainly hires younger employees (52%);
- earning less money than younger colleagues who do the same job (49%);
- different attitudes of management or leadership toward older workers than younger employees (45%);
- a work environment where colleagues and managers make age-related comments (35%);
- a work environment where older workers are passed over for challenging assignments (22%);
- an employer that claims individuals over a certain age are overqualified for a job (21%);
- an employer that excludes older employees from certain activities, such as meetings (16%); and
- an employer that engages in a pattern of passing over older workers for promotions in favor of younger workers with fewer qualifications (16%).
These forms of discrimination are hard to prove or police, but they reflect deep-rooted biases that continue to marginalize Gen X and baby boomers in the workplace. Respondents have also faced more egregious forms of age discrimination, though in smaller numbers. These include:
- an employer that physically isolates older workers to exclude them from participation (11%);
- facing unfair discipline due to age-related physical challenges (11%);
- layoffs that primarily target older workers (11%); and
- facing unfair discipline due to age-related cognitive challenges (10%).
Ageism impacts the financial stability of older workers, impacting their earning potential (48%), retirement (42%), or access to training opportunities (94%). It can also have a profound impact on emotional and mental health, with older workers experiencing isolation and loneliness (45%), depression (44%), anxiety (36%), unhealthy habits (25%), or reduced self-confidence (20%).
Respondents say that, when they reported age discrimination to HR, leaders took steps to handle the issue, with 45% saying that HR mediated the situation, 45% saying that HR initiated disciplinary action against the perpetrator, and 10% say that HR did nothing to intervene.
