New Research Reveals Widespread Ageism in the Workplace

One quarter of respondents believe hiring 50+ workers is a “waste of resources.” One third thought older adults are less tech-savvy.

New research has revealed widespread ageist myths about older workers’ competency, adaptability and value in the workplace. The survey of 2,057 residents aged 18 and above living in England was commissioned by the charity, Centre for Ageing Better. The Centre is tackling inequalities in aging and building an Age-friendly Movement so that society sees ageing in a more positive and realistic way.

Release of the study marked the first anniversary of the UK’s national anti-ageism campaign, Age Without Limits.

Results show widespread ageism in the workplace:

• One in four people (24%) thought it did not make business sense to employ someone over 50 because they will be slow workers who will not be able to adapt.

• One in five (22%) also thought it was a waste of resources to give in-job training to someone over 50 because they did not think older workers were likely to stay in their role for long.

• A third (32%) thought people become less competent using technology as they get older.

  
  

Gender and Economic Differences

Statistics revealed pronounced differences in the views of men and women, and contrasting views among different age groups and generations.

Overall, men and those with the highest qualifications were most likely to hold ageist assumptions about older workers compared to women and people with lower educational attainment. 

This was a particularly worrying finding given that men and those with the highest qualifications are the most likely to make decisions around hiring, promoting and developing workers in their 50s and 60s.

Men were more likely to agree it is a waste of resources to provide training for staff over 50 than women (26% as against 18%). And more than one in four people (29%) with a Level 4 qualification or above (which includes degrees and doctorates) thought it a waste of resources to give in-job training to a staff member over 50 — more than twice the proportion of people with a Level 3 qualification (13%) who thought this.

Dr Carole Easton, chief executive at the Centre for Ageing Better, said the statistics are “worryingly high” but “not surprising”. Easton said it was “dispiriting that these attitudes persist when older workers have such potential to tackle skills shortages, help businesses to thrive and grow our national economy.”