Would you mind?

[JollyRanger]

If you just started a new job and a colleague asks how old you are?

And sometimes people just ask things because they're interested / are trying to build a working relationship.
You may think it's because they're thinking you're incompetent - but it could be because you feel a bit insecure in a new job.

Try and relax - and just expect the best of people instead of expecting the worst - you've got nothing to lose :)

Not really but it's a weird thing to be asked when you start a job. If you looked 99 or 13 ish maybe but people usually ask if you've got kids, married, boyfriend not your actual age.

See I was brought up the same but I think it's old fashioned bollocks now.

Because your age is just your age, the same as your eye colour is just your eye colour.

I've never understood all the cloak and dagger weirdness over something so factual.

No I wouldn't mind

I don't understand why you would leap from "I'm in my early 20s" to "because they think I might be incompetent"

Why would you equate age and levels of competency ???

But, to answer your question, no, I wouldn't mind in the slightest (and haven't as I've gone through the decades, when typically more people have felt more sensitive about their age).

They dont need to ask me, they can count the wrinkles and work it out, bit like the rings on a tree stump.

Age is just a number.. it has no bearing on anything..

I agree. All these PP rattling on about age is just a number. It’s personal and intrusive to ask

I would do the head tilt and ‘why do you ask’.

as I have moved up the ranks it’s a question I get more frequently. It is usually either people measuring themselves against you or trying to see if you could have ‘enough’ experience to do the job!

Yes, I think it's pretty rude

No not at all. I am the age I am.

I think people did used to ask when I was young. They wouldn't now as it's not really done to ask middle aged people. I did tell someone my age at a toddler group as we share a birthday and we have similar aged kids. She looked absolutely horrified, said "oh my god, how old" and walked from the room. That put me off disclosing it to anyone else voluntarily. Although I did have a kind of similar response when someone at work asked me what year I graduated. She looked extremely grave and repeated "I didn't know, I didn't know" as if I'd told her some really sad personal information. So if you find out someone older's age, please be tactful in your response!

None of their business.

No I wouldn't mind but I wouldn't be able to tell them - I stopped counting years ago. I could work it out but it's a bit like weighing yourself when you haven't done it in a while - probably best not to know 😁

Age has bearing on everything surely? Your general outlook, looks, life experience, the culture you grew up in, experience and seniority at work, years of life left, health and energy levels, politics, fertility, likely family status, what you paid in uni fees, lots of other things

Age is just a number.. it has no bearing on anything..

No bearing on anything? Don't be ridiculous.

Not at all. I'm nosy so would see this as an opening to ask how old they are too.

I wouldn't mind. It's just a question, and you're allowed to decline to answer if you prefer.