Article June 18, 2001 Issue

Successfully challenging age discrimination

Be—and be seen as—a force for positive change.

By Elise Moore

When corporations seek youth instead of experience, and techies in their teens and 20s are preferred over middle-age employees, baby boomers are facing ageism. A report published in the United Kingdom by the Department for Education and Employment stated that "those over 50 suffered the worst discrimination when it came to getting and keeping a job ... Even people in their 40s were experiencing discrimination ..." (The Independent, August 14, 1998).

In the United States where age discrimination is illegal, numerous corporations have paid millions of dollars to former employees who have successfully proven ageism. As one specialist in age discrimination issues warned, "Business leaders [need to] wake up to the fact that age discrimination is a critical issue demanding immediate action ..." (Sheldon Steinhauser, Business Wire, March 4, 1998).

At my first corporate job, I became aware of ageism. One morning envelopes with pink slips appeared on desks throughout the building. The recipients were summarily dismissed. Everyone was shocked, and the remaining workers were frightened. It wasn't lost on me that every employee fired looked over 50.

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

Successfully challenging age discrimination

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access