07-11-2018
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released a report on the state of age discrimination in June 2018, 50 years after the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) went into effect. This report concludes that age discrimination is an ongoing and significant problem in the workplace.The ADEA prohibits discrimination against workers over the age of 40 by employers with 20 or more employees. It was passed because “Congress recognized that age discrimination was caused primarily by unfounded assumptions that age impacted ability.” Per the new report, age discrimination remains a common issue and few individuals speak up about it. “6 out of 10 older workers have seen or experienced age discrimination in the workplace.” Women and minorities report higher incidents of age discrimination than white older men.
The tech industry apparently has one of the worst records of age discrimination according to the report with 70% having witnessed or experienced discrimination. 40% of older tech workers are concerned that they will lose their jobs because of their age. The harm to an older worker who loses a job is of enormous consequence, both financially and emotionally. It takes much longer for an out of work older employee to find a new job than the average worker. The EEOC urges employers to include age in diversity and inclusion efforts to help minimize bias.