Taming The Last Frontier Of Career Discrimination

At 63, swimmer Diana Nyad did what people her age and much younger have been unable to do: prove … [+] that we shouldn’t let age limit us in any capacity.

Copyright 2011 AP. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

The new Netflix movie “NYAD” depicts 63-year-old swimmer Diana Nyad’s historic swim from Havana, Cuba on August 31, 2013, ending 103 miles on the shores of Key West, Florida on September 2, 2013. No one younger has ever been able to match her feat. As she made her way out of the water, her face sunburned and swollen, she declared three things, “One is never, ever give up. Two is you are never too old to chase your dreams. Three is it looks like a solitary sport, but it’s a team.” This is sage advice any worker seeking career success should follow—especially older adults. But the problem is that ageism—prejudice and discrimination on the grounds of a person’s age—adds additional career roadblocks for older adults.

Society Hasn’t Kept Up With The Science

You’ve heard the adage, “50 is the new 30.” According to the science, society’s understanding of older adults is “old fashioned.” As adults age, they are getting younger and healthier, working longer and outperforming their peers from 1993. Science-backed evidence shows that the physical and cognitive health of adults is significantly better today than people the same age thirty years ago. Muscle strength, walking speed, reaction speed, verbal fluency, reasoning and working memory are significantly better today than they were in people at the same age born earlier. And new research shows that with the tanking economy and improved health more older adults in their sixties and seventies are working and performing well.

At 81-years-of age, President Joe Biden, has become the topic of age in the workplace (AP … [+] Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

But society’s thinking hasn’t kept up with the science. Ageism is one of the most common and socially accepted forms of discrimination. Despite evidence to the contrary, Stanford University research shows that employees approaching retirement (and beyond) face age bias even from younger employees who fight other forms of prejudice such as racism and sexism. Ageism is pervasive from Hollywood to American politics. At 81, president Joe Biden’s age has become a critical factor in the next election. Age discrimination against older adults, rampant in today’s workplace, still flies under the radar in this country. According to behavioral scientist, Rosie Evans-Krimme, ageism is so pervasive that it is one of the most common and socially accepted forms of discrimination.“Unchallenged stereotypes about aging often fuel ageism,” she points out. “These stereotypes are often depicted as individuals being slower, less tech-savvy and less resilient, which leads to discrimination in hiring, promotion and training opportunities. Older workers may be overlooked for leadership positions, assumed to be less innovative or even passed over for training programs on the basis of their age.”

When CNN anchor Don Lemon described presidential candidate Nikki Haley as “not in her prime,” critics blasted him, and he was fired for “a sexist comment.” But none of the pundits mentioned the ageism in Lemon’s remark or Haley’s ageist comment that American citizens over the age of 75 should be required to take a mandatory mental competency test in order to run for office. Imagine requiring a mental competency test for the youthful 92-year-old Warren Buffett or Dolly Parton, still crooning at 77 years, Robert Redford at age 87 or Jane Fonda, still an activist and actor well into her eighty-fifth year. And what about 80-year-old Mick Jagger still touring or 76-year-old Elton John still jamming on stage? American folk artist Grandma Moses didn’t start painting until she was 77-years old, and comic Joan Rivers claims she didn’t hit her prime until she turned 80.

Why Squashing Ageism Benefits Employers

According to a study by Empower, over half (58%) of Americans plan to be in the job market post-retirement and are open to working indefinitely. Future retirees say their reasons are personal fulfillment (41%), maintaining a sense of purpose (37%) and financial needs (40%). The problem that awaits them is persistent ageism in the workplace, despite the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), which forbids age discrimination against people who are age 40 or older. Employers still have policies to not hire people over a certain age, and older adults—regardless of their skills and talents—are routinely passed over for promotions.

“Ageism in the workplace can significantly impact older workers’ lives, leading to financial hardship, stress and anxiety while damaging self-esteem and confidence,” Evans-Krimme says. “For example, older workers may be discouraged from applying for senior-level positions because they’re seen as ‘too old’ to thrive in a high-level role, or they may be viewed as ‘out of touch’ and passed over for promotions in favor of younger candidates. Additionally, older workers may be more likely to be placed in dead-end jobs or given fewer opportunities to develop their skills and grow within the company.”

To worsen matters, only eight percent of organizations include age as a part of their D & I strategies. According to AARP, nearly one in six adults currently working or looking for work (15%) report that they were not hired for a job within the past two years because of their age. Among recent job seekers, 53% were asked by an employer to provide their birth date during the application or interview process, and 47% were asked to provide a graduation date. Moreover, Roughly one third (32%) of older adults in the labor force report that in the last two years they heard negative comments in the workplace about an older co-worker’s age. One in six (17%) say that they have been the recipient of negative comments about their age at work. Just over one in ten have been passed up for a promotion or chance to get ahead because of their age (13%).

It’s a win-win as more businesses benefit from recruiting older workers or bringing retirees back into the workplace. The McKinsey Health Institute found that older adults are happier and healthier when they are engaged with society, and helping them do that benefits the economy. The report says that encouraging older adults who want to work to reenter the workforce adds between two and 15% to the annual GDP. Studies demonstrate that overlooking the 37% of the workforce over 50 causes reduction in performance, higher churn rates and lower productivity. Plus, senior managers have valuable experience, wisdom and creativity—even the soft skills that are in high demand—to mentor younger workers, all of which contribute to the organization’s bottom line.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that older adults will be the fastest growing age group in the labor force by 2026. Many older adults continue to work into their 70s and 80s because they enjoy what they do, in some cases doing their best work in later years. Many retirement-age adults work longer to benefit from additional income, social connections and meaning and purpose. Age discrimination not only hinders an individual’s growth but stunts the progress of the entire organization, declares Evans-Krimme. It prevents talented older workers from realizing their goals or pushes them out of the labor market entirely, plus employers with an ageist perspective miss out on an experienced talent pool. It’s long past time for leadership to recognize valuable workers of all ages without bias and make sure when we talk about equality that older adults are part of the diversity and inclusion workplace policies.