As the U.S. workforce grows older, the problems around ageism in the office are coming to a head. Elder millennials, Gen X, and boomer employees all say they’re experiencing serious discrimination issues, and it’s hurting their morale.
About 90% of U.S. workers aged 40 or older say they have experienced ageism in the workplace, according to a new report from Resume Now, a jobs platform. The most glaring example is compensation—nearly half of these older workers report earning less than their younger colleagues, according to the study. And the same proportion of respondents, about 49%, say they make less money than Gen Z and younger millennial workers for doing the same job.
Older millennials, Gen Xers, and boomers say they’re also being given fewer opportunities to progress in their roles, creating barriers in their career growth. About 22% of employees 40 years or older say their work environments pass up older colleagues for challenging assignments, according to the report. Nearly all survey participants said that ageism limits their access to professional development and training services, and around 16% of respondents say their employer engages in a pattern of passing over older workers for promotions in favor of younger counterparts who may have fewer qualifications.
Unsurprisingly, this ageism is impacting the way workers show up to their jobs. Discrimination bulldozes employee well-being: of workers aged 40 or older who have faced ageism, 45% say the bias made them feel isolated and lonely, 44% suffered from depression, and 36% experienced anxiety.
Unfortunately, ageism can be difficult to prove and police, putting up roadblocks for affected staffers to advocate for themselves. About 94% of survey participants who have faced age bias say they have reported the discrimination to their HR teams, but only 45% say that HR mediated the situation. Among workers who have faced ageism, about 37% of those who reported the situation say the ageist coworker was given a warning, 30% said they got a slap on the wrist but weren’t fired, 23% say the person was terminated, and 5% said administration took no action.
There’s no doubt that the workforce is getting older. And as long as ageism persists, HR leaders must work to help companies dismantle their bias, create more equitable career advancement opportunities, and recognize that America’s aging workforce should be respected for their contributions
Emma Burleigh
[email protected]
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