A 63-year-old remote worker from Greater Manchester was subjected to workplace bullying for two years by her younger colleagues – due to her age.
“They were actually openly on Teams meetings laughing and making comments about my age, often about my hair because it’s quite white”, said Sarah (not her real name).
It became an inside joke between Sarah’s colleagues, including the project manager, to say that because of Sarah the project had aged them all significantly.
She added: “I had a horrendous time there. Because I was a contractor, I didn’t feel as though there was anyone I could go to.
“I did tell the programme manager what had been going on and they just said ‘Oh yes, we know we’ve had some problems in the project teams.'”
Sarah worked remotely as a consultant for a local authority, a role she got in 2022 through a recruitment agency.
The recruiters were well aware of the bullying, but didn’t step in. “Recruitment agencies obviously just want the money”, she said.
Although age discrimination is illegal under the Equality Act 2010, a new Robert Walters poll has indicated that stories like Sarah’s are not uncommon.
Three-quarters of over-50s feel overlooked
According to the poll, older professionals are being met with “considerable bias” in the workplace. Of the 1000 respondents aged 50 and over, 73% said they’ve been overlooked for promotions in their current positions, and 59% felt their age is holding them back from being considered for training or upskilling opportunities.
Habiba Khatoon, Director of Robert Walters Midlands, said: “Professionals aged 50 and above are being met with considerable bias.
“Not having the chance to master new skills can put all professionals at a distinct disadvantage, especially in terms of being exposed to further promotions and progression opportunities.”
In Sarah’s previous job – one she had for eight years – she was overlooked for a management role due to her being “too experienced”. She was told the company wasn’t ready for that, effectively prioritising age over skills, Sarah said.
Sarah knew straight away that the interviewer’s agenda was to make the younger candidate look like the better option.
Without any chance of further career progression, Sarah then left the company, leading her to the public sector contract job.
Khatoon said: “It is no doubt that ageism is a significant issue within UK workplaces. It is equally true that employers who view over-50s as ‘difficult’ hires are losing out on an untapped part of the workforce with a wealth of experience, wisdom and grit.
“Having spent longer in the labour market, professionals over 50 will naturally have larger professional networks – they should leverage this to their advantage. A simple introduction or referral could open them up to a host of new opportunities.”
Biased recruiters
Sarah landed a new job last week, but it wasn’t easy convincing employers or recruiters that her age wasn’t a hindrance.
She signed up with a recruitment agency that one of her acquaintances – a contractor in his 40s – also used. She said: “It was a bit odd really. He was contacted regularly about jobs, but they never bothered telling me.”
A few weeks ago another recruitment agency, which specialises in finding jobs for women, even contacted the younger contractor before Sarah. It was him who suggested that the recruiters contact Sarah about the job.
According to the poll, 65% of professionals of all ages think including their age on CVs actively hampers their chances of securing a new position.
Khatoon said: “Something as simple as keeping graduation dates in CVs can lead employers to make assumptions about a potential employee’s experience, aptitude and attitude.”
These assumptions can lead to unintended discrimination, or in the worst case, harassment.
When Sarah left the job at the local authority, she sent a complaint to the HR officers, outlining the dates and incidents as well as the mental health issues they had caused her. It was only after Sarah sent a follow-up email asking for a response that HR reacted.
Sarah did not get an apology, but was told that the younger colleagues had been made aware of the impact their behaviour had had on Sarah.
Feature image credit: Kaboompics.com via Pexels
Join the discussion