Since turning 50, one in two employees have been overlooked for promotion and three in five workers believe they have lost out on a job because of it, the UK’s biggest-ever study into life after 50 has found.
From being told you are too old, to casual ageist comments, to being passed over for career opportunities including training courses, one in ten over 50s admit to being called names or made fun of, while others felt the discrimination in their pockets with one in 25 saying they were overlooked for a payrise and one in twenty even said they felt they were encouraged, or forced, to retire.
The Equality Act 2010 makes it unlawful to discriminate against employees, job seekers and trainees because of age, yet over 50s are almost twice as likely to experience age discrimination in the workplace than in any other area of their lives. As the workforce continues to age - by 2020, the UK government predicts a third of workers will be over the age of 50, and by 2039 the state pension age will be 68 for both men and women - there could be extra tension in the workplace.
• Half of people over 50 have experienced some kind of age discrimination at work
• SunLife reveals how Legal Expenses Insurance – offered as an optional extra alongside many home insurance policies – can help pay the legal costs of making a discrimination claim against employers
While following a grievance procedure is the first step in dealing with a work dispute, Legal Expenses Insurance, the bolt-on insurance offered alongside many home insurance policies, can provide the expert legal advice to decide whether to pursue an employment tribunal.
SunLife’s General Insurance Director, Simon Stanney, said: “Most over 50s do not feel their age and it is surprising to discover that younger colleagues are discriminating against a group we all hope we’ll one day join.
“The triple squeeze of longer lives, smaller pensions and rising prices makes retirement a luxury for many, with millions of over 50s planning to work past pension age and a growing number expecting never to retire. In other cultures, wisdom and experience is highly prized, not ridiculed and mocked.
“When they could be planning for retirement, two in five people aged over 60 and 14% of 70-year olds are putting their wealth of experience and business knowledge to use, helping to break down stereotypes in the process. 50 is definitely not ‘old’, and with life expectancy as well as and retirement age rising year on year, life after 50 certainly doesn’t mean the need to slow down or ‘take it easy”.
As well as experiencing age discrimination themselves, almost a third believe they have witnessed someone else being subjected to it with four in ten counting up to 20 examples.
And 28 per cent think age discrimination is more common than ever before. With almost half believing age discrimination becomes more apparent the older you get.
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