Survey finds 92% have felt pressure to conceal their age, and 86% believe older employees are targets of workplace bullying
MyPerfectResume, a leading career and resume service, announced the findings from its Generational Attitudes in the Workplace Report. The report polled 1,003 American workers over the age of 40 about their experiences with age biases in the workplace.
The results found that 99% of respondents believe there is at least some degree of ageism in the workplace, and 92% say they have felt pressure to conceal their age or downplay their experience to avoid negative perceptions. Further, 86% believe that older employees are a target for workplace bullying.
"The data reveals a stark truth: nearly all older workers surveyed acknowledged that they feel ageism in the workplace and many say that age-related stereotypes and bullying are eroding their confidence and sense of inclusion," saidÂ
Jasmine Escalera, MyPerfectResume career expert. "Workers over 40 are exhibiting behaviors that indicate that they feel their age is something to hide in the workplace."
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Other key findings include:
- 95% of respondents feel that age-related stereotypes have affected their sense of belonging or inclusion in the workplace.
- 88% of respondents admitted to sometimes adapting their behavior or language to fit in with younger colleagues.
- 81% say that age stereotypes are alive and well at work.
Age Discrimination Continues to Thrive
Of those surveyed, 99% say they believe there is at least some degree of ageism in the workplace, and 81% say that age stereotypes still exist there. Here's how the data breaks down:
When asked, do you think there is ageism in the workplace?
- 73% said that there definitely was ageism
- 26% said yes, to some degree
When asked whether they agreed with the statement, "Age stereotypes are still alive in the workplace," most people agreed.
- 51% said that they somewhat agreed with the statement
- 30% said that they strongly agreed with the statement
The Pressure is On to Seem Youthful
When asked whether they have ever felt pressure to conceal their age or downplay their experience to avoid negative perceptions, 92% of those surveyed said they did.
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Most workers aged 40 and older admit to adjusting how they act and speak at work to avoid standing out. When asked how often they adapted their behavior or language to fit in with younger colleagues, 88% admitted that they do at least sometimes.
Only 2% of respondents said they never change how they act or speak around younger coworkers.
Here is a breakdown of the data:
- 69% said they sometimes change their behavior or language to fit in with younger colleagues
- 19% said they often change their behavior or language to fit in with younger colleagues
- 11% said they rarely change their behavior or language to fit in with younger colleagues
- 2% said they never change their behavior or language to fit in with younger colleagues
- 26% of men report regularly changing how they act or speak around younger coworkers, compared to 12% of women.
Stereotypes Sting Older Workers
Ageism in the workplace impacts the psyches of older workers. Most respondents (95%) reported feeling age-related stereotypes have affected their sense of belonging or inclusion in the workplace. Further, the majority of older workers (86%) believe that they are targets for workplace bullying.
When asked how much they agreed or disagreed with the statement, "Older employees are a target for workplace bullying," the majority of respondents agreed.
- 55% said that they somewhat agreed with the statement
- 31% said that they strongly agreed with the statement
- 11% said that they somewhat disagreed with the statement
- 3% said that they strongly disagreed with the statement
"When 92% of older employees feel compelled to conceal their age or downplay their experience, it's a clear sign that workplace cultures need a shift," Escalera said. "Age diversity should be seen as an asset, not an obstacle. For this change to happen, older workers' skills and experience should be celebrated by organizations. An alarming percentage of our workforce does not feel valued despite bringing a wealth of experience to the table."
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Source – PRWeb
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