With age comes wisdom and experience. In theory, that should mean that professionals who have spent decades developing their careers are invaluable resources for their employers. Many workers command the highest wages in the last decade or two of their full-time employment.
Unfortunately, not every business readily acknowledges the value of more experienced professionals. Workers over the age of 40 sometimes experience age discrimination. What does inappropriate treatment based on advanced age mean for the affected worker?
Fewer opportunities
Age discrimination often looks like companies giving more experienced workers fewer projects or sales leads. The company may start treating them as though they are on the edge of retirement when they actually want to continue working for multiple years.
Experienced workers may find themselves getting passed over for promotions as well. They may be far more qualified than the people eventually selected to fill those roles, which can lead to frustration and strained work dynamics.
Lower wages
Age discrimination can manifest in lower performance reviews and marginal wage increases instead of competitive raises. Companies may justify such decisions by pointing out that more experienced workers may already make more than their teammates. However, denying them the same fair consideration about raises because they are older or already make more can be unfair.
Job loss
The most overt form of age discrimination is unfair termination. Sometimes, older workers start receiving negative performance reviews. Other times, their employers find excuses to include them in a layoff despite their seniority. Older workers who lose their jobs suddenly may have a hard time finding comparable positions elsewhere.
Keeping personal records of conduct that may indicate age discrimination in the workplace can help workers fight back. Those mistreated because of their advanced age may have grounds to take legal action against their employers.