So what exactly is ageism? Ageism, also known as age discrimination in the workplace, is when someone is treated unfairly or unfavourably due to their age. Employees are protected under the 2010 Equality Act, however, statistics still highlight that a staggering 60% of older employees have seen or experienced age discrimination at work. 

What does age discrimination in the workplace look like?

Hiring managers and HR will tell you age discrimination is non-existent in their company, but it’s not as clear-cut as that. Discrimination of any kind, whether that be race, religion, sexuality or age, can go unnoticed and unreported.

So what does ageism look like? Here are some things to think about:

• Lack of learning opportunities. These tend to be offered to the younger employees, whether that includes training workshops, conferences or reimbursement for educational courses. 
  
  
• Not having the opportunities to be involved in larger, more challenging or important projects or, on the flip-side, given the more tedious projects that others don’t wish to complete. 
  
  
• Receiving disheartening comments or remarks about age. Comments could be subtle or made in a joking manner, but might still be hurtful.
  
  
• Being excluded from company social activities.  
  
  
• Being overlooked for promotions and salary raises. Promotions and salary increases are based on personal performance, therefore this one can be a slightly trickier one to associate with age.  

Age discrimination and mental health

This is no surprise but, psychologically, age discrimination has a massive impact on overall well-being and is a factor associated with increased stress, anxiety, and depression. 

Experiencing prejudice based on age can result in job loss, financial stress, and social isolation, driving symptoms of depression and anxiety. Addressing age discrimination requires cultural shifts toward inclusivity and respect, promoting environments where age diversity is valued and supported, ultimately creating better mental well-being for individuals of all ages.

How can companies manage age discrimination in the workplace?

To manage ageism in the workplace we recommend reviewing all policies and procedures to identify areas of age bias, including sick leave, annual leave and flexible working arrangements. This process will also involve examining recruitment policies, employment terms and conditions, promotions, training, redundancy and dismissals. 

• Review sick leave and annual leave policies to ensure fairness for age-related health concerns and caregiving responsibilities.
• Assess flexible working arrangements to cater to the diverse needs of employees, including older workers who may benefit from alternative work schedules or remote work options.
• Scrutinize recruitment policies to eliminate age-related stereotypes or preferences and ensure fair hiring practices.
• Evaluate employment terms and conditions, such as retirement age policies and benefits eligibility, to rectify any disparities disadvantaging older workers.
• Examine processes related to promotions, training opportunities, redundancy procedures, and dismissals to prevent age-related biases from influencing decisions about career advancement, skill development, or job retention.

Boxxe

We spoke to Talent Resourcer - Alex Errington, at Boxxe to gain further insight into their recruitment process to better understand how companies are tackling age discrimination as part of their diversity, equity and inclusion policies. 

“The ATS system we use is called TeamTailor and, at the very beginning of recruitment when we are reviewing CVs, we have the anonymised option which is always on so when we are reviewing CVs our unconscious bias doesn’t kick in at the beginning. Also, to be honest, the people at Boxxe are very open-minded and I haven’t met a hiring manager that has been ageist.

Also, Boxxe has a flexible working policy for individuals who are getting close to retirement, we support them by approaching their retirement with support in transitioning and ease them from working all the way to their retirement day.

Fourthrev

Director of Market Development, Tara Rodoni at Fourthrev, explains why she loves working at Fourthrev, and how her age hasn’t hindered her career at the company - “Everyone here shares the same values. It’s always about the person first and what their strengths are. Mine lies in the knowledge, experience and extensive industry network I’ve accumulated over the years, and here that’s recognised as an asset.”

Tara also explains a few things that have been impactful for her: 

• Learning opportunities - “Despite being in a professional position where I am fulfilled, I enjoy the learning opportunities and resources available, like LinkedIn Learning and HubSpot training, all offered by FourthRev. Because of working remotely and using a range of tools and processes, different from team members who host learning sessions on a regular basis. All sessions are recorded and stored in a central location to make it easy for me to return to, in my own time.”
  
  
• Flexible working - With someone who has had an industry presence for a few decades, Tara says, “FourthRev’s flexible working policy helps her maintain her network and invest time in professional interests, like serving on a board. The team at FourthRev knows and respects that everyone will get their work done without having to set a schedule. This helps me meet my deliverables and keep up with other responsibilities that are meaningful to me.”
  
  
• Regular opportunities to connect with one another - “We have regular team calls to discuss the projects we’re working on, we try to encourage engagement across the broader FourthRev team. It’s good to meet people and put a face to a name that you otherwise just see on Slack or in your inbox. Interacting with someone in a way where they can get to know you professionally and personally is the best way to break down ideas that they might have of you after just seeing your picture.”  

Changing workplace culture to tackle age discrimination