Dan Schawbel* says as workplaces adapt to new ways of working, ageism is becoming an increasing problem – and not just for older employees.
There’s no question that COVID-19 has disproportionately affected older workers.
During the first six months of the pandemic, workers aged 55 and older were 17 per cent more likely to lose their jobs than younger employees.
In fact, this is the first time in 50 years that older adults are experiencing higher unemployment than their mid-career colleagues.
Older workers are also being rehired more slowly, with those in their 50s looking for jobs twice as long as younger job seekers.
This is partly because tenured staff are more expensive to keep on the payroll, but it’s also the result of longstanding discrimination against older individuals.
They’re typically seen as being set in their ways, lacking innovation and creativity, and unwilling to embrace new forms of technology.
Because of this, one in five workers over the age of 40 and a quarter of people over 60 have experienced age-related discrimination at work.
However, younger workers also face prejudice in the workplace.
Recent research reveals that ‘reverse ageism’ is worse now than ever before.
The researchers found that today’s young adults are seen in a more negative light than their cohorts from previous generations, with study participants describing them as entitled, coddled, disrespectful, radical, and lazy.
Another study even suggests that young adults are often more likely to report experiencing ageism at work than their middle-aged and older counterparts.
It’s also worth noting that while legislation forbids age discrimination against older people, employees under 40 are not offered any protection.
Some State and local laws protect younger workers, but the lack of widespread legal protection makes it that more critical that employers take steps to ensure that all generations are treated equally in the workplace.
No matter which age group is at risk, the consequences of age discrimination in the workplace can be monumental.
Not only are staff members more likely to suffer from lower morale, engagement, and wellbeing, but the business bottom line can also be affected.
According to a United States report, in 2018 bias against older workers cost the economy an estimated $US850 billion ($A1,191 billion) in GDP, 8.6 million jobs, and $US545 billion ($A764 billion) in lost wages and salaries.
Other research finds that companies with higher diversity (including age) have 19 per cent points higher innovation revenues.
Given the potentially enormous impact on business outcomes, employers would be well-advised to improve their policies and practices around age discrimination.
Yet few are addressing this, and others may not be aware of the extent of the issue — both within their own organisations and within our broader society.
Furthermore, it’s critical that companies examine how issues around ageism have evolved during the pandemic, and how age biases could shift as we transition to a hybrid work model.
It’s already apparent that the shift to hybrid will present new challenges for businesses and their people when it comes to age-related discrimination.
Now it’s up to employers to build awareness around this issue and take steps to address it within their workplace.
*Dan Schawbel is a bestselling author and Managing Partner of Workplace Intelligence, a research and advisory firm.
This article is part of Dan’s Workplace Intelligence Weekly series.