Ageism in the workplace: 3 ways organizations can stop what too often seems like ‘acceptable’ discrimination

While diversity, equity and inclusion are at the top of the priority list for most organizations, one of the most prevalent forms of workplace exclusion often lurks beneath the surface, sometimes thriving: ageism.

According to a new survey by WerkLabs, 60% of respondents reported they had experienced ageism in their professional lives. The issue often pops up during the interview process, but 53% of respondents encountered it while at work. Those encounters affected women (62%) more than men (52%).

Ageism is discrimination based on age and can show up in everything from promotion opportunities to job-description language. It can be assumptions about tech competence or a willingness to adapt. Or it can be that ill-advised joke at the water cooler. It also can be discrimination that goes both ways, as older and younger generations sometimes harbor negative assumptions about the other.

One more thing: It’s illegal.

“Ageism kept coming up because of how hidden it is and because of how insidious it is,” says WerkLabs president Pam Cohen. “It remains perfectly fine to make a joke about somebody’s age or potential irrelevance, and to discriminate on that basis, because it’s so hidden.”