Age bias in the workplace is more common than sexism and racism

Combating age discrimination in the labour market appears to be the only way to prevent ageism from becoming a “serious obstacle to retaining talent and making full use of older workers.” This is one of the conclusions of the study “Understanding Ageism in Young and Old Workers,” published by the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation.

Among older workers, ageism can “lead to early retirement; and among younger workers, it can lead to them feeling unvalued, being seen as less competent, having fewer opportunities for development, having lower pay and less access to benefits, and suffering from poor work-life balance,” the researchers say.

The study, coordinated by David Patient, a professor at the Vlerick Business School in Belgium, says that “such a situation can lead to more interpersonal conflicts in the workplace, lower job satisfaction, a greater desire to leave the organization, higher stress levels, and worse mental and physical health across all age groups.”

The researchers find that ageism is “more prevalent than sexism or racism.” They also add that “when managers are younger than their team members, their teams tend to rate them lower in terms of professional competence.”