To think there's massive age discrimination after 50

[Livelifelaughter]

My company recently made redundant some extremely competent experienced lawyers. All the ones below the age of 50 (40s)have got new jobs. None over 50 have even though they would accept the salary on offer to the 40 year olds.
Some have approached firms asking to retrain in other areas of law at a lower salary and have got no where even though many firms will re train women who have left for years to have families.
It seems very difficult to get a decent well paid job at 50 plus.

Yes, ageism is rife.

Maybe they are thinking the over 50s will retire soon so are not worth the investment.
I have heard of many very qualified experienced people who are suddenly not free getting shortlisted any more.

Yes, anecdotally I think you’re right.

Any litigators, ComProp or Private Client lawyers among them? Send them my way - can't find good ones for love or money.

well, these people are lawyers, surely then understand what to do if the y have evidence that the firm is discriminating against them?

Perhaps they can take their pension at 55 and the company are compensating them?

I'm loving my 50s,

more freedom and opportunities than I have ever enjoyed in my life, to date

personally and professionally

Totally agree. Certainly no one leaves themselves open to discrimination by stating age as the reason. There's always some other pretext, but the stats don't lie.

It's why I cover my greys tbh.

I was redundant in 2020 aged 57 thanks to Covid.

I have decades of experience in tech marketing yet it took me 7 months battling to find another role. I have friends who dealt with the same. The skills shortage has helped, not sure if law is facing the same issue.

I know doctors who came out of retirement to help with the pandemic.

As with most things, it depends on demand. But yes, definitely tougher over 50.

I'm in my 50s and have had no problems getting a job a couple of years ago. Mind you in my profession people tend to come to it in later life.

Yes ageism is rife. I am 51 and in a great quite senior job which I love. I never mention my age and hate all the talk about menopause at the moment as I think it just stigmatises women my age further. It’s a difficult one as it’s also good that it’s being spoken about, but I have sailed through menopause with no issues and mentally and physically I am back to the person I was before I had children in my late 20s.

Guess it depends where you work. We had three lots if redundancies during covid. My name was on the final list among 20 others. They let all the part-timers go who where on the list except for me who was the oldest of the lot.

A lot of companies don't want people to stay more than a few years so that shouldn't really be an issue. I think younger people feel uncomfortable managing someone who may be older or even more experienced than they are. Perhaps?

I agree.

I find it amazing that companies can say "not the right fit"

Yes. I am fairly sure it was a factor in my being rejected from a civil service post application this week, dates on my education give away how old I am. Probably along with not phrasing some of my answers in perfect civil service behaviour speak now that they've changed their recruitment style yet again. I was a civil servant previously, I do have to laugh a bit that under the new regime I wouldn't even have made it to interview let alone got the job. No wonder there's a recruitment crisis, apparently!!

I have at least another 14 years ahead of me to work, maybe more if the government move the goalposts again in that time. Given that I usually stay (or used to stay) in jobs four years on average, under previous life stages that would have been at least three jobs. I'm consoling myself with the fact the minister in charge of the department is one I heartily dislike. (Not that the role I was applying for would have come into contact with them.)

Ageism is alive & kicking, just like nepotism

I read an article that suggested all dates are removed from a CV - well that only works if everyone does it or the recruiting company asks candidates to do so.
It's also impossible to re train.

It's a definite problem in education. If you are 50 plus you are too expensive if you've been teaching a while given the staye of school budgets. They can get a newly trained cheap teacher instead. Bullying out of older teachers is rife and there is absolutely no menopause understanding at all. Flooding? Just have to stay in that classroom till break.

There are fewer and fewer older teachers each year as they just vote with their feet and leave before being pushed. The amount of bullying of older teachers i've seen has to be seen to be believed. I'm only still in education because i'm in a sector of it that literally no-one else wants.

do you feel this happens disproportionately to women?

It's sad that in this country we do so much about racism, sexism and every other ism but ageism is still seen as acceptable.

@Nimbostratus100 yes- but it does happen to male teachers too.

Yes it is.

Economic stupidity especially given the staffing issues many places face.

Obviously there is ageism.Some mumsnetters seem surprised!!!You have to challenge it and that means being in a union.Many people over 50 have at least 15 years left to work and many would like more.The pandemic has made things worse and age diversity is not seen as important and requirements for menopause and ageing workers puts employers off.If Hunt wants older workers back then he has to provide more government suppiort and employers need to show they are willing to change their assumptions.With remote working you would think employing older people would work.As well as affecting young people many older peoples working lives were finished by covid lockdowns.

We may also need to look at the whole concept of retirement itself as it doesnt suit all and may be actively bad for some.Employers need to be challenged if they are not training people because they think they will retire soon.That is where unions come in.

Yes there is definitely ageism in the workplace. It's not a new thing. It's always been the case and it won't change. To be honest when I was in my 20s and 30s I thought some of the older people at work were dinosaurs. Now in my 50s I see it differently and how wrong I was!

I think ageism is the one last area where no one bats an eye lid especially against older women take the whole Karen name calling. Imagine if you did it to another group. I was looking at tik tok last night, I know a lot is dross but I like the history and cooking channels. You do get stuff yrandom stuff pop up iand a woman who was in her mid fifties was relaying how attacked she was on her make up and beauty tips channel because she was so old and she was called a hag amongst other stuff. I know it’s literally the arse end of social media but imagine if her demograph was something else, it’s open season on older women.