To think that ageism is still socially acceptable

[Sparklingsupernova]

NCed for this one. I feel that there's a subconscious, maybe even conscious bias against employing women over 4O. Especially if they're still more junior in a professional role due to a career change etc. We're now really good at spotting sexism (for younger women), racism etc, although much further to go. But ageism is hardly ever mentioned.

It's particularly bad in my industry (tech) where it's young - mostly staff in their 20s and 30s.

Find it quite depressing when we might need to work another 30 years after 40.

There doesn't seem to be much shortage of white male 40 and 50 somethings in senior positions, so I do wonder if it's just disguised sexism.

Yes agreed. My friend (59) can't get a job with a wealth of qualifications and experience. Feedback from interviews is always that she came second.

There is state sponsored ageism where young people are paid less for doing the exact same work as their older counterparts - a range of different minimum wages for ADULTS between 18 and 23. There is a reason you find shops, restaurants etc pretty much fully staffed by teens/under 21s... They are cheap! And indeed works against older people applying for entry level jobs too.

I'd say it's a combination of ageism and sexism. It can be really hard for women to rejoin the workplace even if they've got degrees / qualifications falling off of them.

We are doubly discriminated against, but have even extra stigma that older women have directed at them. I'm 54, I've got good energy levels and no family distractions, as many of my peer don't, but the statistics and experience shows that we are overlooked.

I think you’re wrong @Sparklingsupernova. In fact I think it’s the reverse. Many employers find older women to be more attractive employment prospects because they don’t take maternity leave. Getting older definitely worked to my advantage in the employment market.

Yes I think it's often dressed up as, "concern they will cope after a career break." When actually it's pure ageism and sexism.

Completely agree. I campaign about this a lot. Very little visibility of older women in the workplace in tech.

@LampLighter414, but Aldi, Iceland, racetrack, hospital jobs pay everyone the same rate and the same still happens.

Sadly a lot of ageism aimed at older women comes from younger women.

@BennieAndBert

Sadly a lot of ageism aimed at older women comes from younger women.

And older women can be horrible to young women 🤷🏻‍♀️

@BennieAndBert

Sadly a lot of ageism aimed at older women comes from younger women.

Yes agreed. I would like to say "Imagine yourself in 10 years... 20 years ... would you still be good at your job? Ok then!!" Can't really put that in an application though!

And older women can be horrible to young women 🤷🏻‍♀️

Yes and I've had younger women being great as well

@WhatYouDontKnow Sure. That's not what the thread's about though.

As someone who is neither particularly old nor young, I see more open dismissal of and contempt for older women from younger ones than I see from men. The vanity of small differences perhaps, or the subconscious wish to deflect misogyny onto someone else. "Don't hate me- I'm young and hot! But feel free to hate her, who is neither."

@Sparklingsupernova

Yes I think it's often dressed up as, "concern they will cope after a career break." When actually it's pure ageism and sexism.

That's blatant sexism

[quote Ponoka7]@LampLighter414, but Aldi, Iceland, racetrack, hospital jobs pay everyone the same rate and the same still happens.[/quote]
I read your post and it's only just occurred to me that I have never seen any older women working in Aldi.

To be fair I go weekly on the same day and possibly that is the shift patten.

But I've been to other ones as well, then tend to be young men, with a few young women working there.

Tesco, Sainsbury's and Waitrose appear to have older ladies as well as younger workers.

Yet PriceWaterhouse Cooper found that women over 55 were the demographic most likely to have the skills for transformational leadership pwc.blogs.com/press_room/2015/05/women-over-55-will-solve-your-wicked-problems.html

I'm certain it happens in some sectors, but where i work they prefer to employ us oldies (im 58) because we're reliable and experienced.

Yanbu I work(ed) in a young industry too and it’s very ageist still esp for women

I mean I was going to say YANBU but the other way - people assume I'm very junior because I'm fairly young and probably unfortunately I look even younger. I'm actually pretty senior and have sat in meetings where people have mocked young people and insinuated there's nothing they can contribute.

Neah.... not my experience... Maid of Honour at my wedding has been posting on social media about some very flattering headhunting she just experienced.

She's a 50-something who has senior job in tech.

Lots of age 50+ senior females at my workplace -- no, not social / health care provider.

YANBU. Even the Guardian quite happily lets its writers and BTL posters get away with it. It seems to be the one socially acceptable
"-ism".

Not found this in my area - banking. Women over 40 with the right skills are really in demand as it’s recognised that it’s a demographic that’s currently underrepresented.

Glad to see some people aren't finding this. Although I think it's perhaps easier if you're already in a senior management role.

I've had a career change so competing with people younger and seen as more ambitious. Which just isn't true as I'm really ambitious!!

I agree Sparkling Supernova. I also had a career change and now I'm over 40 I definitely think that a) my org want to view me as a safe pair of hands, rather than ambitious, and b) it doesn't seem to occur to them I have a lifetime of work experience and I know some stuff! Sometimes I work closely with colleagues and they seem surprised by how competent I am at many things and I think "well, what did you expect?!"
It's the only thing that ever makes me really consider Botox etc, just so I could pass for a bit younger and be seen as a contender, because actually I am quite ambitious.