As more older adults re-enter the workplace as the world emerges from the tail end of the pandemic, the prevalence of ageism in the workplace is an issue that must be addressed to truly become inclusive spaces.
How prevalent is ageism in the workplace? According to new research from WerkLabs (the data and insights division of The Mom Project), a whopping 95 percent of survey participants who stated they’ve experienced ageism at work revealed that they’ve deliberately tried to physically conceal or mask their age during interviews.
Part of the issue is the lack of systems in place to help battle ageism in the workplace, such as educational seminars to prevent ageism and few established human resource policies to protect those who reports incidents of ageism.
Consider everything from the language used in job descriptions to a hiring manager telling a candidate that they are overqualified as potential cases of age discrimination, says the study’s lead author, Dr. Pam Cohen, who is the president of WerkLabs. “Our goal with this study was to not only identify what constitutes ageism but also where employees are witnessing it the most in order to provide organizations with actionable solutions to overcome and prevent this illegal discrimination,” she says.
Visit here for more on the pervasiveness of ageism and what the WerkLabs survey revealed, such as the finding that 75 percent of the 700 adults aged 40-plus surveyed experienced that discrimination during their job search.
Read more:
The Power Of Words To Shape Culture, Instigate Change And Confront Ageism
Stopping The Spread Of Ageism In the Workplace Needs To Be A Priority
Ever Say You’ve Had ‘A Senior Moment’? Stop. It May Lead To Internalized Ageism
