Dear Eric: I’m a 50-year-old technology worker. My boss is in her early 40s. She’s made comments about coworkers in their 60s saying they should “retire” – but that has nothing to do with me, not to mention that I’m not that far along in age.
I use Botox, fillers, hair dye, diet, exercise, and keep up with the latest technology, but like most non-vampires, I am getting older, I have health problems, and I will have to work until I’m at least 65 to pay for health insurance and medications. I’m still 12 years away from receiving Social Security, at the earliest.
I’m extremely worried about losing my job because I’m “too old.” Ageism is rampant in the youth-driven tech industry, and it’s not just my boss who’s at fault. Is there a way to gently remind people that age shouldn’t be a topic of conversation in the workplace, especially as it relates to succession and retirement planning? Should I just leave it at that?
-Let’s stop talking about age.
Dear Aji: Don’t give up! What you’re experiencing is unfair and may be crossing a legal line. I reached out to Hannah Marks, talent advisor and HR expert at Culture Marks, for advice.
“For employees who experience age discrimination in the workplace, the first step is to document any instances,” she says. “From there, I recommend reporting the situation to your HR team. If your company is too small to yet have an HR team (as is common in the tech industry), bringing the matter to a manager or senior leader is also a good option. In more severe cases, or if HR/senior leadership fails to handle the situation appropriately, employees have the right to speak to a lawyer.”
Even if your workplace culture suggests otherwise, you have resources: The Age Discrimination in Employment Act specifically prohibits age discrimination against people over the age of 40.
If you would like to learn more about the law and your reporting options, we encourage you to visit the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s website, which has a section dedicated to age discrimination and how to combat it.
Finally, managers who would rather fire older employees than benefit from their experience will find themselves in a bad position in a few years.
For questions, please contact R. Eric Thomas eric@askingeric.com or write to us at PO Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Instagram Sign up for our weekly newsletter Source.
