Believe it or not, job seekers are reporting age discrimination beginning as early as the mid-thirties. In fact, in some industries, you are considered to be “washed up: by the time you reach your forties. But what can you do when you’re considered to be too old to be hired? How do you fight age discriminations in the workplace?
For a start, there are laws that prohibit employment discrimination because of age.
What is Employment Discrimination?
Employment discrimination happens when a job seeker or an employee is treated unfavorably because of his or her race, skin color, national origin, gender, gender identity, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or age.
The Gray Ceiling
What is the “gray ceiling” and why does it matter? The gray ceiling is a term used to describe the age discrimination that many older job seekers and employees face whiles they’re searching for jobs or seeking promotions. Even though employers aren’t supposed to discriminate based on how old you are, getting hired can be a challenge when you’re considered an “older” worker. And you don’t need to have gray hair to be considered too old to get hired.
Age Discrimination Issues
In addition to being considered “old,” experienced candidates are sometimes considered to be more of an expense (higher salary, pension, benefits costs, etc.) than a younger applicant would be.
- Workers over the age of 45 are unemployed longer than younger workers.
- By 2024, the number of employees over 55 years of age will reach 41 million, compared to 27 million in 2008.
- More older workers are considering postponing retirement and continuing to work.
However, research has found no relationship between age and job performance. Just because you’re older doesn’t mean you’re better or worse than younger workers.
Cred- The Balance Careers
Photo: Google
