About two-thirds of adults over the age of 50 said that they believe older workers experience age discrimination at work, according to a 2022 survey conducted by AARP. Research also indicates that employees over the age of 50 have a harder time finding work compared to younger people. So what can you do if you feel you’ve experienced workplace ageism?
The site businessinsider.com spoke with an associate legal counsel at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a American federal agency that oversees enforcement of workplace-discrimination laws who noted that it can be a difficult situation as you may not know who was selected instead of you, what differentiates that person from you and whether you are, in fact, more qualified for the role.
Ultimately, you must be able to show that your age was the difference between being hired and not. This can be difficult, but not impossible to prove. Businessinsider.com notes that perhaps the recruiter was initially enthusiastic about your application but then immediately seemed uninterested when they learned your age, or perhaps at some point of the screening process, you were required to enter information that would reveal your age, when that detail is not relevant to the job.
If you suspect you’re being passed on due to your age, be sure to keep records of your conversations and interactions with people at the company, and information on who was selected for the role.
For more about what to do if you suspect you’re experiencing job-search ageism and what research reveals about ageism in the workplace, read the full businessinsider.com article here.
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