If you have experienced ageism in the workplace, either yourself or watching other employees, what has ageism looked like?

51 Comments

1. Jackie WeismanMay 5,2022 at 5:56PM UTC

   I was the youngest director out of 5 on a small staff. And the youngest by at LEAST 20 years. It was not a good experience. I work in marketing and social media and as much as I was hired to 'make change', and 'attract younger members' - I wasn't trusted to do so. Everything was met with pushback and when it came to social media, they didn't 'get it' because none of them had accounts. It was super frustrating. Lots of 'your generation' comments.

   THEN, I was the only one with a kid at home and a boss who thought everyone (even the receptionist) should be treated exactly the same. So if I had to leave early because the baby was sick, I was made to feel awful because everyone else manages to find alternatives (to what, I don't know).

   I should also say, I am not a fresh-faced college graduate. I am in my late 30s with 15 years of experience in the field.

   A lot depends on coworkers' attitudes and your confidence level (and not working in a generally toxic environment).

2. Kim PfeifferMay 6,2022 at 3:45PM UTC

   I like the way you wrote "was."

3. AnonymousMay 5,2022 at 9:11PM UTC

   During a presidential election time, I was in the break room when an older co-work walked in. I was familiar with this person we said hello to each other, but that was the extent nothing more on a personal level. But for some reason they felt it was ok to ask if I voted yet, and I say yes but felt uncomfortable sharing. But I felt almost bullied into answering, and then this person proceeds to say "Good because it's the younger generation like you that doesn't usually care or vote." Which is a huge generalization and I was left speechless, walked back to my desk and just sat there thinking "what was that?"

4. AnonymousMay 6,2022 at 1:03PM UTC

   my older leaders are engaging in the same behavior. Advocating for people to vote, discussing employee Covid vaccinations by political lines, expressing anti religious sentiment - it makes me uncomfortable.

5. AnonymousMay 7,2022 at 12:39AM UTC

   I get it, some people don't feel it's their employer's place to promote voting, I remember having a conversation with some colleagues about this. While others felt that it was important for our employer to speak up. I think it's one of those areas where there's never going to be 100% consensus on what should be done.

   I do believe though that what should be provided to all employees is a leader who can 'read the room' and perhaps tell when a topic makes their employees uncomfortable. I know that's not always realistic, we're not mind readers. But there should be a safe enough space for you to feel comfortable to state your feelings and needs.

6. Kim PfeifferMay 6,2022 at 3:43PM UTC

   That was rude regardless of age.

7. AnonymousMay 6,2022 at 5:53PM UTC

   It's actually statistically true that older voters turn out more regularly than younger ones.

   That said, it was a tacky thing to do.

8. AnonymousMay 7,2022 at 12:35AM UTC

   I agree, we just weren't on that level with each other to share that with this person. If I got to know that person more perhaps I would have voluntarily shared it but it was out of left field.

9. JC LindquistMay 6,2022 at 12:25PM UTC

   I’ve experienced it on both spectrums. Early in my career, in my mid twenties and currently experiencing in my job search in my mid 50’s.

   When I was younger, my male leadership labeled me not enough experience even though I had the skills and was capable. Now it is veiled in, you are over experienced.

   Both held me back from job opportunities.

10. AnonymousMay 6,2022 at 12:57PM UTC

    I’m in the younger age boat.
    Our VP is a baby boomer, me a millennial. The employees in my division are at least a decade if not 2 decades older than me. My immediate team is the same, except for my new boss. I hear consistent commentary about being “too inexperienced” to lead the projects assigned to me. Even with great performance success, older employees (with 0 knowledge in my area) forced themselves onto my business line, and I’m required to run things by them before launch. It’s maddening.

    Also promotions are based on seniority and who do you think has least seniority? I’ve been told blatantly that while I have the leadership skills and performance, and support of senior leadership, that I haven’t been there as long as other employees. I’ve been passed up for promotions (not allowed to apply or express interest in them either) repeatedly.

11. Kim PfeifferMay 6,2022 at 3:42PM UTC

    I don't know what to say other than millennials need to get their acts together because they're giving the entire group a bad rep.
    I've hire excellent millennials and those that possessed every single bad quality millennials supposedly have. Never anything in between. Just one end of the spectrum or the other.

12. AnonymousMay 6,2022 at 5:52PM UTC

    I wonder how millennials expect the last 20 years of their careers to go.

13. AnonymousJune 5,2022 at 8:20PM UTC

    Careers will begin to reflect the desires of the majority working population. Nothing in life is permanent and every generation deserves to live and work based on their preferences and needs

14. AnonymousJune 5,2022 at 8:19PM UTC

    Not sure what you're trying to say but discrimination based on age goes both ways. You just made my point

15. Kim PfeifferMay 6,2022 at 3:39PM UTC

    Both are just euphemisms for not wanting to pay a competitive salary.

16. Carol MajewskiMay 6,2022 at 12:27PM UTC

    I'm the oldest in my office by far with my ex boss. I noticed he was nervous all the time and guarded every word he said to me. He never trusted me to do what he asked me to do and always went into great detail on the simplest things. Very uptight all the time. He was much more relaxed with the younger people in the office.

17. Kim PfeifferMay 6,2022 at 3:38PM UTC

    Deep, deep down in his soul he knew you were more qualified for his job than he was. He could be the shining star among the young people.

18. KelleyMay 6,2022 at 1:13PM UTC

    When I first started in my field in my mid 20s, I had to constantly prove myself and show I knew what I was doing despite being young. Even in my 30s when starting my current job, I had the same issue early on despite everyone knowing I had the knowledge and experience.

19. Kim PfeifferMay 6,2022 at 3:36PM UTC

    I know what you mean. When you're younger, you jump through all their hoops to get all the credentials and experience just to be told when you have them that you're too well qualified. All this is an excuse not to pay a competitive salary.

20. AnonymousMay 6,2022 at 5:51PM UTC

    I lived through that, and now in my 60s I've had to prove I can adapt to new technology for over 10 years. I've been using computers since 1980, have adapted to numerous new systems and programs during that time, and now suddenly I'm not able to learn new things? It's infuriating.

21. AnonymousMay 6,2022 at 1:25PM UTC

    I did not experience it until I changed at 48 and went into corporate America , the manager I now have had basically called me old several times won’t have a career discussion with me ( I have asked for 5 years) is nasty and I don’t think it helps I’m a woman , he likes the young cool girls and guys, speaks to me only when he has to and almost chokes when he has to tell me good job, he tells inappropriate sexual jokes constantly makes crude remarks and everyone laughs he has has been in his role 20 years so it’s not like he is a young guy he is actually just a few years younger than me ! I am looking for new jobs but it’s not easy as I changed careers went to college at 48 graduated too me two years to get my fist position I left that one to grow here but what a lie they sold me , I am now 60 but I’m not giving up there is a job out there with my name on it , I am awesome and I will find a company who can see that ! I have no problem with younger people it’s just my boss actually my younger ( millennial) co workers are looking to and they are encourage me as well !

22. Kim PfeifferMay 6,2022 at 3:34PM UTC

    I can't recommend highly enough to work for a woman-owned company.

23. Christi MillerMay 6,2022 at 1:51PM UTC

    I have definitely seen ageism with my friends applying for jobs. They are in their late 40s or early 50s. They either get "you are too experienced" or in some cases they get blatant "we are looking for someone younger". I have also seen it in my past when social media campaigns were taken from me and given to someone in their 20s because "they get social media better". I think everyone should be judged on the value they can bring to the team and not their age.

24. AnonymousMay 6,2022 at 2:30PM UTC

    Oh my gosh. At one job it was so obvious They started laying off anyone who was close to the retirement age . So blatant if they had gray hair they were gone . The HR person would be in tears just distraught. Saying his job is just firing people . They btought on underpaid, inexperienced interns or junior staff

25. Kim PfeifferMay 6,2022 at 3:32PM UTC

    Ultimately, underpaid and inexperienced staff cost more than experienced staff worth their salaries.

26. AnonymousMay 6,2022 at 2:38PM UTC

    Yes, I interviewed internally for several roles, only to have less experienced and younger candidates fill - "give them a chance", " they are high potential", "must give them a new role or they'll leave", yes - these were comments, although informally said, after I found out who filled the roles. Consider this is happening within a global company cited as a DEI leader! Some external roles I've interviewed for, after 'adding up' my experience and asking for graduation year, they go from super excited about my fit, to meh. I interview very well, and have excelled in many roles, so I see ageism is pretty rampant.

    unfortunately DEI, seems to focus on diversity more than inclusion. the older I get (and even wiser and more skilled), the less I'm included . very frustrating and sad, especially in my 'peak earning years'.

27. Kim PfeifferMay 6,2022 at 3:31PM UTC

    Diversity should be about more than race, religion, and nationality. Mix in some maturity

28. AnonymousMay 6,2022 at 3:17PM UTC

    In interviews it subtle but noticeable things like saying they want to make sure the new hire fits their work culture? Then there's a meeting with multiple younger under experienced coworkers. Who look just over it as they are asking repetitive questions. I think that "work culture fit" nonsense opens thing up to ageism, racism, unconscious bias.

29. AnonymousMay 6,2022 at 6:12PM UTC

    I recently discovered the concept of "culture add."

    "Culture fit" describes the Borg from Star Trek!

30. Kim PfeifferMay 6,2022 at 3:28PM UTC

    I was actually asked in an interview how much longer I intended to work. Of course, right then and there, I decided I didn't want to work anywhere near this jerk. He was about 30 years old and already a partner. After thinking about it, I called the HR department of the company and ratted on him for asking that question and told HR they may want to fill him in on questions he's not allowed to ask. Next thing he may ask a young woman if she intends to return to work after having children.

31. AnonymousMay 6,2022 at 3:36PM UTC

    Being told that I am "overqualified" for roles. I've never understood the logic in not jumping on the opportunity to gain the knowledge of someone with deep experience when filling a role.

32. PatriciaMay 15,2022 at 1:24AM UTC

    I get this a lot! Apparently, the belief is that if you are overqualified you will get bored quickly and look for a better opportunity. So rather than take a chance that you will stick it out, they deny you the opportunity.

33. AnonymousMay 6,2022 at 3:38PM UTC

    I did not experience this until I actually hit my 60's. I've been a perfectly qualified candidate for at least 3 jobs I've interviewed for in the past 6 months and it has come down to always the OTHER candidate. I can only assume it is my age now. It's quite frustrating.

34. AnonymousMay 6,2022 at 3:40PM UTC

    I am 50. My career began early in life as I worked my way through college instead of attending a 4 year school. I get auto rejected for Simple Sales positions although I have been at the VP level or higher for over a decade. No one values life experience anymore nor will they pay you for it. I couldn't find what I was looking for so I started my own business.

35. AnonymousMay 6,2022 at 6:09PM UTC

    Some very subtle discrimination in my university job:
    Getting less in raises (due to undeservedly low evaluation scores) every year despite doing the same or better work than younger people in the same job category. At one evaluation meeting, I pointed out (with proof and a witness from HR) that my supervisor had said the previous year that I needed to do [x] and said in the current year that I had done [x] and yet my score in that category was the same. I asked why. The answer: "because the standards get higher every year." Ummmmmm So the only thing I did wrong was have a birthday?

    Being left out of a strategic planning committee that included everyone else in my department.

    Being called to a patronizing meeting about a new software program that was unable to do something the old program did more simply. I knew how to use the new program already, but I just wanted to know if our IT people could tweak it to do something my clients had found useful. A simple "no" in an email would have sufficed, but instead, I got a step-by-step tutorial in how to do the old thing in the new way. I said I already knew how to do it and asked why we were having a meeting. It was "because we want you to know we care about this issue" or some BS. No, it's because you thought I was an idiot!

    Being demoted and transferred to a younger colleague in a reorganization. She was simply determined to show me who was boss, and required me to go through her for every little thing, even paper clips (instead of asking the admin). I pushed back and got let go. I was happy to leave.

    And in a job interview recently, "Where do you see yourself in 10 years?" My potential supervisor, a fellow baby boomer, asked this. I brought up my retirement plans and said I wasn't interested in a promotion. Is there any good reason to ask this question anymore? Younger people can't answer that, either - they either want her job or want to use the job as a stepping stone to a different organization, or they have no ambition and want to work 40 years in the same position. (I didn't get the job, and I was somewhat relieved)

    When I was 25 I moved hundreds of miles to a job where I replaced someone who had retired. I had directly relevant experience in a comparable organization. My new supervisor kept saying, "You're so young!"

    So.... if you're a woman, you will be judged by your age or have your age brought up at a few different places in your career.

36. AnonymousMay 6,2022 at 10:15PM UTC

    Reading posts like this makes me depressed. I just hit 45 and have been thinking about a career change or pivot for some time, as I've been doing the same job for 10 yrs. However, I'm very fearful of ageism, as it happened to my mom who got laid-off at 60 & never was able to find work again. I feel sad that essentially I am stuck, that there's nothing better out there. My job has union protection. I try to look at the positives but at times I just feel done with my job.

37. AnonymousMay 7,2022 at 1:18AM UTC

    There's a reason why unions negotiated for last-hired / first-fired policies!

38. AnonymousMay 7,2022 at 8:05AM UTC

    45 you are still in the prime of your career. I did not get my bachelors degree till I was 45 and it opened up so many new roles for me. If you can, see if you can qualify for another role still covered by the union to keep the security. You are still young. I am 57 and unemployed, I have faith I will land a good role somewhere.

39. Kim PfeifferMay 7,2022 at 7:04PM UTC

    Luckily you’re still in the gray area between younger and older. Go ahead and see what’s out there but don’t wait until you’re 60

40. AnonymousMay 8,2022 at 1:39PM UTC

    I’m 67 and I continue to work nonstop, though my recent company just let me go after 3 years. I don’t think it was ageism as much as getting work done in Eastern Europe much cheaper. I’m a writer in high tech and I’m never out of work for more than a few months. Most important: be very current with everything related to your work! New technologies, business trends, work processes or collaboration software. If you keep current and youthful in your attitude and positive, people w see you that way as well.

41. AnonymousMay 7,2022 at 9:31AM UTC

    Confiding in supervisor an area of growth/ challenge I face as a poc and woman, in private. Same person voluntarily shared this with our clients during a update meeting and laughed it off as a young person issue. During meetings, facing a lot of you niceties( ex/ good-but this is the issue-without actionable detail), Also, interactions are laced with you don’t know what your talking about (even though my work has noticeably informed this persons direction on certain issues). Expectations , and assignment details are not made clear, despite attempts to clarify them. This person asks other people for the same given assignment without mentioning that I’ve been assigned to it. It’s very isolating, confusing, demoralizing and exhausting.

42. Amy HolmesAugust 29,2022 at 8:49AM UTC

    I hope you can find a better job situation. This one sounds awful. You definitely deserve better.

43. Rachel BulkoMay 7,2022 at 5:11PM UTC

    I have experienced some in my current workplace, as my hiring manager called me “just a kid,” a couple of times. I’m 27. I know ageism often contextually refers to older individuals, but minimizing one’s status based on their lack of experience is a common issue. I try not to let it get to me, but older generations fail to recognize the harm they cause when they fail to see younger coworkers as individuals with valid experience and insights.

44. AnonymousJune 5,2022 at 8:21PM UTC

    Completely agree

45. AnonymousMay 7,2022 at 10:16PM UTC

    I'm 60.

    I was in my last job for ten years. By the time I left, I had triple the responsibility and workload compared to when I started.

    Approximately 25% of our team was aged 50+. Our manager was in her 30's. Repeatedly, she would "forget" to include us in email communications that were critical to tasks and projects. Then, she would publicly berate us in meetings with our team and/or with her leadership for missing small deadlines, status updates, etc. Each of us had had outstanding performance reviews with previous managers in the same position.

    Our new, twentysomething coworkers were given the visible assignments, and she publicly praised them for the "awesome" work they were doing. Never mind that the rest of us had 5-10 years' experience with the organization, and brought considerable skills to the table. She also frequently delegated managerial tasks to them.

    She said several of us were basically technology challenged, when the client sites where we were embedded had hardware or software issues. This, from a manager that admitted herself that she didn't know much about technology.

    All of us in the 50+ group (and some of our younger colleagues) quit within a four month period. That was fully half the team. The company conducted an exit interview with the one person who retired, after she filed an HR complaint.

    The company still hasn't done anything about her behavior. Apparently, it isn't important to them.

46. AnonymousMay 15,2022 at 4:23PM UTC

    I have found that ageism seems to be the one ism that is allowed and even encouraged within the new modern workplaces. I don't remember being in my 20s and disregarding all of my older colleagues - I befriended those that I could and learned from the. I do work with younger people who are nice, but you hear it all the time. One day I may say something.

47. Madam anon663May 8,2022 at 7:00AM UTC

    I am now 59, and in my position for 6 years. I have also dealt with favoritism, but first hand have had zero opportunity for development, and I mean zero. Also not getting interviews for internal positions, and being told I look great for my age.

48. Kris Mertins-ElliottMay 8,2022 at 1:32PM UTC

    I've experienced ageism while both in my 20s and also into my latter 40s. (I was at the same employer for 25+ years and worked under two completely different leadership styles.) Earlier in my career, the atmosphere was very stodgy, and advancement was based almost purely on tenure. Although only in my mid-20s, I had experience in multiple areas of my profession and was a quick study of new tasks. However, I had a manager who, while very knowledgeable about our operations, was like working for Attila the Hun. I know it was partially because she was threatened by my level of experience compared to my age. She undermined me every chance she got, especially when she could expose my inexperience in a particular area. She blatantly embarrassed me in front of a customer for not doing something exactly as she "trained" me to do, when she could have addressed that with me after the customer was gone. On many occasions, she was very condescending when addressing questions or issues I had. Thankfully, she was transferred to manage new location (that I was supposed to go to) and then left our employer shortly thereafter.

    Today, the management focus is completely the opposite. They revere the younger "talent" by offering opportunities in leadership capacities without the experience OR the knowledge. Those that they manage are teaching them the tasks of the job and those of my age are ignored for any leadership opportunity or mentoring. Management glorified "efficiencies" even if it meant corners were being cut in the process, putting us at risk for compliance issues. There was a mentality that those of us of longer tenure did not "play well" with the "new" hires but allowed the "newer" people to treat us "older" or longer tenured staff like we were dumb and not open to change or technology. When they wanted to change a process for efficiency reasons, they would completely disregard the valid reasons it was done the previous way. Then they couldn't understand why issues arose under the "new" way. It was frustrating and it wore on me for quite a long time. I had no idea how much it impacted my mental health and motivation to even go to work every day until I finally left.

    I'm almost 4 months into a new job and realizing that it can be different and you can be appreciated and respected no matter your age. Finally.

49. AnonymousMay 8,2022 at 2:03PM UTC

    Thanks for sharing this! Definitely need more managers with this understanding. I think it would make a big difference in work culture and workplace health.

50. PatriciaMay 16,2022 at 12:00PM UTC

    A few years ago I was part of a SAP Implementation Team, there were 2 of us in our 50's, the team leader was in his 30s and the rest of the team was under 45.
    The manager treated we older folk like complete morons, as if we had no clue about technology (mind you he hadn't seen my resume so he had no idea what my background included). The remainder of the team were treated like stars. One day he had started to take me through a 10 step process and half way through he abruptly stopped stating that he didn't want to overwhelm me. I said I was fine and he could continue as I took my notes. However, he decided that he need to go into the city for some meeting and stated that we could pick up where we left off the next morning. That didn't occur. I waited for him the next morning and when he didn't show up, I went looking for him and the rest of the team. He gathered the other members to train them in some new procedure and left me off the invitation! I left shortly after that.

51. GirlBossanova934974July 25,2022 at 2:12PM UTC

    Ageism has become fairly blatant these days. The Pandemic just made it more so. These days, it takes the form of forcing out older workers (>50) into retirement. Then the whole enterprise blows up as productivity nosedives and work doesn't get done or done incorrectly leaving a wake of angry customers and senior management back peddling, trying to pretend they didn't have a role in causing these problems in the first place. It is all about a QUICK FIX or INSTANT cost cut. Some folks are getting paid big bonuses to do this. Smarter heads put in claw-back provisions to prevent this from happening. This happened to me a few times in the last 10 years. The last time, I went the legal route and recovered 2 years pay in an out of court legal settlement.