Ageism at work

[whatisforteamum]

My current team had a change over a year ago and little by little the mature members have been replaced by school leavers.The boss is 30 years junior to the previous one.
This is fine except recently there has been little discipline and bullying is creeping in.Think school playground.The other day the conversation turned to the mid 50s colleague who was off and how he was too old for the job now!! I am in my 50s too.
I pointed out of was.ageist which got me thinking has anyone else experienced this?
I am a fit.50 something and hate to think I'm near the scrap heap.

It doesn't matter about the idle chit-chat. That doesn't count as much as how your employer actually behaves towards their staff.

Do they give promotion opportunities to younger staff and exclude the more mature members of the team who may or may not have been there longer?

Do people make derogatory comments and management don't clamp down on it? Do management themselves get involved with banter which is targeted towards Fred / Betty - they won't want to be at the team building event, they're in bed by 7 haha".

How do pay levels compare between the age categories?

If you employer is guilt of discrimination (aka harrassment) and it affects you personally then you need to gather the evidence and bring it to your manager's attention. Anything else is hearsay and very difficult to hold their feet to the fire.

Yes the younger members were given more opportunities earlier this year.Tbh we were told it was in the interest of making them catch up.I wanted to be promoted one level and did all I could the past year to get promoted.Learned new skills took on responsibility however there is someone who I'm certain would get promoted if I left who is 35 years my junior.
No the boss didn't clamp down on the conversation at.all.I think he was agreeing as it is a physical job.
There just.is an uncomfortable vibe when the majority are going and discussing how older members can't cope.
I just stepped in and said don't be ageist as far as I'm concerned need the older members are reliable and bring plenty to the workplace.

Learned new skills took on responsibility however there is someone who I'm certain would get promoted if I left who is 35 years my junior.

This doesn't wash I'm afraid. Challenging an employer about their ageist tendencies cannot be about your subjective opinion. It has to be substantiated fact. Had the employee been actually given their promotion and you had not, then this is worthy of challenge. Anything else won't stack up and they won't take you seriously - they'd ask you what evidence you had to make that accusation.

If you have your annual review coming up, then it's the right time to highlight your progress over the past year by gaining the extra experience etc, and try to get them to agree timelines to review your grade.

Where I work, to gain promotion, you have to apply for a vacancy at the elevated grade. Unless the role spec changes significantly,they wont regrade 'in-role'.

Thank you.Yesterday the situation escalated in so much as the younger team member refused to follow my request and had a go at.me as.to how I do my job.I work where team work is crucial and had to set them straight.
Unfortunately management don't nip anything in the bud so tensions arise in an industry that is well known to be very stressful.
I guess all I can do is look elsewhere as I have been offered two jobs recently but had minor health issues to address first.
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The trouble is, and I’m am fifty something too, the younger ones are cheaper. At least they are in my business. Us oldies are at the top of the payscales, top of the leave entitlement and have different pension terms. Much cheaper to offer voluntary redundancy to the mature staff and then recruit external apprentices under a different job title and description.

I agree.Apprentices are on 2/3 what I get per hour.and do pick new th ing up quickly.The only really big downside in my profession is they can be unreliable late and hungover.
I have very little absences.so little.for my boss to get rid of me if he wanted a.New team which he has hinted.would be nice to interview who he specifically wanted.

I hadn't even thought of it like that.Just comments about old people all the time.

Also, older workers are not so easy to push around so they are seen as a barrier to change, however unfairly that may be,

Keeping you working has got to be cheaper than paying your pension out, not that I'm sure employers pay much in pensions. Pensions seem to be completely separate from profit margins nowadays.

If it's that toxic an environment but that competitive an industry, then it sounds like an opportunity to jump ship & prove your merit elsewhere.

Yes this maybe the answer.When I have had my full of somewhere I instantly find something else.Lots of people in my profession quit this time of year from being absolutely drained from it all.Long stressful days and little free time in December while everyone is enjoying themselves takes its toll.TBH I normally see it as a temporary downer however with zero hours contracts and week for @ week Rota it is an added stress.Chuck in some mild bullying and hey presto a workaholic that has become quite depress ed.No pensions have nothing to do with it....accummulative sick pay may do though!!

I agree Sarcelle I do stand my ground and can smell bullshit a mile off.The apprentices.are easier to coax though.I on the other hand have stamina and reliability on my side.