Age bias at work

Are people experiencing age bias at work?

Nearly half of over 50s think their age would be a disadvantage when applying for a job and one in five think people see them as less capable due to their age, according to a recent report.

The report, ‘Becoming an age-friendly employer‘, was published by the Centre for Ageing Better and Business in the Community and was based on a poll of more than 1,100 employees over 50.

It showed that, since turning 50, 14% of over-50 employees believe they have been turned down for a job due to their age and nearly one in five (18%) have or have considered hiding their age in job applications.

Age Bias at Work

While 40% of employees over the age of 50 think their workplace has a policy related to preventing age discrimination, nearly half of these people (47%) say it has made no difference.

The Centre for Ageing Better is urging employers to adopt five steps to an age-friendly workplace to ensure they are ready for a workforce where older people are likely to have to work for longer.

Government figures show that already nearly one in three workers is over 50. The five steps include providing flexible working, actively targeting candidates of all ages, providing health support, encouraging career development at all ages and creating an age-positive culture.

Number of older workers rising

Patrick Thomson, Senior Programme Manager, Centre for Ageing Better, said: “The number of older workers continues to rise, with over 10 million over 50s in work last year. With job vacancies and numbers in work both at record levels, employers must act now to attract and retain skilled older workers or they will fall behind their competitors.

“Our report sets out practical steps that any employer can take to improve workplace flexibility, create an age-positive culture and boost the candidate pool of older workers.

“Employers risk losing their most experienced people and face labour and skills shortages. Every employer needs to become more age-friendly and take steps today to ensure they have a workforce for the future.”

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