When a 64-year-old woman applies for a job, is she less likely to get a call back than a 29-year-old with the same qualifications? Data says yes. Ageism in the workplace is not an opinion; it is a measurable and damaging reality. As an HR leader building an equitable organization, you must look at the hard data. The evidence is clear. A large field experiment with over 40,000 job applications found that older women (ages 64-66) seeking administrative roles received 47% fewer callbacks than younger women aged 29-31. This is not a perception gap. It is a real barrier to employment.
This article dissects the different sides of ageism, based on solid research. You will explore how discrimination affects both younger and older workers. We will examine the language that predicts biased behavior and outline the health and job-related consequences. Most importantly, we will turn these findings into a clear plan for you to identify, address, and stop age-based discrimination in your organization.
Understanding Ageism Discrimination
Ageism is stereotyping, prejudice, or discrimination against people based on their age. In the workplace, this appears in biased decisions about hiring, promotion, development, and termination. While people often discuss it affecting older workers, strong evidence shows it impacts employees of all ages.
The prevalence of ageism has deep consequences. The clearest evidence comes from a 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis of correspondence studies, the best method for measuring hiring discrimination. By combining data from many experiments, researchers found that applicants older than 29-35 had much lower odds of receiving a callback. The effect grew worse with age. Applicants in their 50s faced a 25-59% drop in callback odds. Those 65 and older saw their odds cut in half.
This discrimination is a chronic stressor with terrible long-term effects. A key longitudinal study followed over 3,900 workers for four years. It showed that as an employee’s perception of age discrimination grew, so did their depressive symptoms. This "wear and tear" effect also linked to major declines in self-rated health and job satisfaction. This proves that ageism is a direct threat to employee well-being and engagement.
Recognizing Ageist Behaviors and Comments
Ageism often appears in casual remarks, subtle actions, and seemingly neutral company policies. Recognizing these behaviors is the first step to creating an age-inclusive culture.
The most common stereotypes, which workers and HR professionals hold, paint a false picture of different generations. A comprehensive SHRM report found the top three: younger workers are inexperienced, older workers are bad with new technology, and older workers resist change. These stereotypes lead to specific, damaging behaviors:
● Exclusion from Opportunities: An older employee might be overlooked for a new project because of an assumption they are "coasting to retirement." A younger employee might be denied a leadership role because they "lack the gravitas" to manage a senior team.
● Condescending Language: Remarks like "Okay, boomer" or calling a younger colleague "kiddo" create a hostile environment. Praising an older worker for using common software ("Great job figuring out Slack!") is a microaggression that suggests incompetence.
● Biased Development: Managers may invest a lot in training for younger employees, seeing them as long-term assets. They may neglect development for older workers, falsely assuming the return on investment is lower.
Perhaps the most hidden form of ageism appears before a candidate gets an interview. A groundbreaking 2022 study in the Journal of Labor Economics used machine learning to analyze the text of over 11,000 job ads. It found a direct link between the language in an ad and the employer's likelihood to discriminate. Ads with language related to stereotypes about physical ability were much more likely to come from employers who screened out middle-aged male applicants for janitor roles. This shows that biased language is not just poor form; it is a leading sign of discriminatory action.
Addressing Ageism Discrimination
Fighting ageism requires a strategy with many layers. This strategy should empower individuals, prepare allies, and build structural safeguards at the company level. Research points to clear, evidence-based actions that go further than simple awareness campaigns.
For organizations, the first step is to check and clean up the hiring process. Since job ad language predicts discrimination, you must audit all recruitment materials. Words like "energetic," "digital native," or "recent graduate" can signal a preference for younger candidates. A focus on a specific number of years of experience can unlawfully screen out qualified older candidates.
The most effective organizational strategy is to build a culture of objective, evidence-based decision-making. The SHRM report shows that both managers and employees use age-based stereotypes when making career decisions. To counter this, your organization must:
● Start Rigorous Training: Generic D&I training is not enough. Only half of organizations with D&I training explicitly include age. Your training must focus on making decision-makers aware of specific age-based stereotypes. It must also give them tools like structured interviews and objective evaluation guides to reduce bias.
● Foster Intergenerational Contact: One systematic review suggests that programs based on the "contact hypothesis" are effective at changing attitudes. This involves creating positive, cooperative interactions between different age groups. Mentorship programs, cross-functional project teams, and employee resource groups for different age demographics can break down stereotypes and build mutual respect.
● Challenge Internal Biases: A surprising finding from a 2023 meta-analysis of 15 studies found a strong negative link between a worker's own age and their ageist attitudes. Simply put, younger workers tend to hold more severe ageist stereotypes than their older colleagues. This means anti-ageism efforts must target the entire workforce, not just senior leadership, to stop these biases from continuing.
For individuals facing ageism, the framework from a Harvard Business Review article offers practical steps. Create a support system of allies, talk to your manager to make them aware of the situation, and, if you can, respectfully confront the biased behavior by explaining its impact.
Ageism Discrimination and the Law
In the United States, the main legal protection against ageism is the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) of 1967. This federal law protects applicants and employees who are 40 years of age or older. It protects them from discrimination in any part of employment, including hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, and benefits.
Despite its long history, few people who need to understand the ADEA do. The SHRM research found a critical knowledge gap. Only 19% of HR professionals could correctly identify that the ADEA protects workers aged 40 and over. The numbers were even lower for C-suite executives and managers. This lack of basic legal knowledge among leaders is a major barrier to compliance and creates huge risk for organizations.
The ADEA forbids:
● Explicit Discrimination: Including age preferences or limits in job notices or advertisements.
● Hiring and Firing: Making decisions based on age instead of qualifications or performance.
● Benefits: Denying benefits to older employees. An employer can only reduce benefits based on age if the cost of giving the reduced benefits to older workers is the same as the cost of giving full benefits to younger workers.
If an employee believes they have faced discrimination, the typical process involves filing a charge with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC will investigate the claim. It is crucial for you not only to understand these legal requirements but to proactively start policies that prevent discrimination from happening.
Promoting Age Diversity and Inclusion
You should do more than follow the law to build a truly age-inclusive organization. A workforce with multiple generations brings a diversity of experience, skills, and perspectives that drives innovation and problem-solving. Fostering this environment requires planned, ongoing effort.
The most critical area for change is hiring and promotion. The research by Neumark and colleagues provides a clear direction. Their field experiment, which controlled for applicant experience levels, found that the evidence for hiring discrimination was strongest against older women. This highlights how age and gender bias intersect and suggests that a single approach is not enough. Organizations must analyze their hiring and promotion data. You need to look for differences by age, gender, and role to identify and fix systemic issues.
Building an inclusive culture also means creating opportunities for meaningful collaboration across generations. This can include:
● Reverse Mentoring Programs: Pair younger employees with senior leaders to share knowledge on topics like technology and social media. The senior leader can mentor the younger employee on career growth and company knowledge.
● Mixed-Age Project Teams: Intentionally staff teams with a range of ages. This helps leverage diverse skills and prevents age-based groups from forming.
● Flexible Work and Phased Retirement: Recognize that employees at different life stages have different needs. Offering options like flexible schedules, remote work, and phased retirement can help retain valuable, experienced talent. These options also attract younger workers who prioritize work-life integration.
Ultimately, promoting age diversity is about changing the organizational mindset. You must shift from a view that sees age as a stand-in for ability to one that values the unique contributions of every individual, no matter when they were born.
The body of research is clear: ageism is a major force that limits opportunity, harms well-being, and weakens organizational effectiveness. It is not an abstract social issue but a concrete business problem with real costs. For you as an HR leader, the path forward involves championing evidence-based practices, challenging deep cultural biases, and building systems where an employee’s value is defined by their contribution, not their birthdate. By doing so, you can unlock the full potential of a workforce with all generations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an example of age discrimination?
A clear example is an employer who decides not to interview a highly qualified 55-year-old applicant for a tech role because of a false belief that older workers are not good with new technology. Research confirms this happens often. A meta-analysis found applicants in their 50s had up to 59% lower odds of getting a callback than younger candidates.
What are ageist comments?
Ageist comments are remarks that use stereotypes about a person's age. For a younger person, it could be, "You are too young to lead this project." For an older person, it might be a backhanded compliment like, "I am so impressed you know how to use that software!" Both comments dismiss the individual's skills because of a preconceived idea about their age group.
What are the three types of age discrimination?
Age discrimination typically has three categories:
- Direct Discrimination, such as openly stating a preference for "recent graduates" in a job ad;
- Indirect Discrimination, where a policy that seems neutral, like requiring a physical fitness test that is not job-relevant, unfairly affects older workers; and
- Harassment, which involves creating a hostile environment through age-related jokes, insults, or intimidation.
What qualifies for age discrimination?
Under the ADEA, an action qualifies as age discrimination if an employee or applicant over 40 years old receives less favorable treatment in any part of employment (hiring, firing, pay, promotions) specifically because of their age, and there is no other valid, non-discriminatory reason for the decision.
How can I report age discrimination?
Typically, you should first check your company's internal HR policies for reporting discrimination. If that process does not work or is not an option, you can file a charge of discrimination with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC is the federal agency responsible for enforcing these laws.
What are some best practices for promoting age diversity in the workplace?
Best practices include auditing job descriptions for biased language and using structured interviews with objective scoring guides. You can also start reverse mentoring programs, offer flexible work arrangements for different life stages, and provide regular, age-inclusive D&I training for all employees and managers.
How can I be an ally against ageism in my community?
Being an ally involves consciously challenging your own age-related stereotypes and speaking up when you hear ageist comments. You can support businesses that employ an age-diverse workforce. You can also advocate for policies that protect both younger and older individuals from discrimination in all parts of life, not just the workplace.