The silent career killer? Nearly every employee over 40 sees rampant ageism in the workplace
As Gen Z overtakes boomers as the largest segment of the workforce, a startling new report reveals that ageism on the job isn’t just widespread — it’s virtually universal.
Nearly all workers aged 40 and older believe ageism exists on the job, with 9 in 10 feeling pressured to hide their age or downplay their experience to fit in, according to MyPerfectResume’s Generational Attitudes in the Workplace Report, based on a survey of 1,000 workers.
“Ageism is like a slow leak — it often goes unnoticed until the damage is done,” said Rebecca Perrault, global vp of culture, diversity and sustainability at workplace tech firm Magnit. The impact of this bias runs deep: 95% of surveyed workers report that age-related stereotypes have affected their sense of belonging at work, while 86% believe older employees are targets of workplace bullying.
The pressure to appear younger manifests in subtle but pervasive ways. The study found that 88% of workers over 40 admit to adjusting their behavior or language to fit in with younger colleagues, with men more likely than women to make such adaptations — 26% of men report regularly changing how they act around younger coworkers, compared to 12% of women.
Jasmine Escalera, career expert at MyPerfectResume, points to multiple factors driving this trend. “Age-related biases persist in societal norms and even extend to professional advice provided to older workers, such as omitting graduation years or older experience from resumes, which can inadvertently reinforce harmful stereotypes about aging,” she said.
Those concerns are not unfounded. A professional with 20 years of PR experience recently agreed to share his own struggle with ageism under the cover of anonymity, revealing that he had removed the dates of his undergraduate and master’s degrees from his resume — in addition to cutting about 10 years of work experience altogether — just to get past initial screenings.
“I use AI to evaluate my resume against the job description and will make subtle tweaks to reach an 85% to 90% match to then get denied without a recruiter screening call,” he said. “After some snooping around, oftentimes I’ll notice that the hiring manager is much younger than me. It’s a brutal time to find a job.”
Heidi Golledge, founder and CEO of recruitment agency Jobot, emphasizes that this trend threatens to create an enormous loss for organizations. “Ageism has the potential to create a culture that undervalues wisdom, excludes critical contributors and diminishes opportunities for collaboration,” she said. “Older workers offer institutional knowledge, mentorship and perspectives that elevate entire teams.”
The solution, experts suggest, lies in deliberate action from leadership and HR departments. Heather Lamb, founder of the nonprofit Social & Economic Empowerment Through Knowledge (SEEK), advocates for anti-ageism training and merit-based promotion systems. “This doesn’t just hurt individuals but robs workplaces of intergenerational collaboration and the diversity of thought that make innovation and resilience possible,” she said.
Wendy Murphy, managing partner at talent management firm ZRG, points out that with five generations now in the workforce, organizations should embrace a “skills-first” environment. “Smart leaders know the value of skills and how to lead and leverage people who have them,” regardless of age, she said.
Other practical solutions are emerging — among them, intergenerational mentorship programs. “Imagine a relay race where knowledge is the baton,” Perrault said. “When older and younger employees mentor each other, they’re passing valuable insight back and forth.” She also advocates for flexible career paths, including phased retirement options that allow experienced workers to continue contributing on their terms.
Companies are also urged to conduct regular bias audits to uncover patterns in hiring, pay and promotion practices. “You can’t manage what you don’t measure,” said Perrault. Additionally, organizations are encouraged to establish employee resource groups that can serve as bridges between generations and create platforms for addressing age-related concerns.
The economic impact of ageism is sobering. The average older worker earns 80% of the average annual pay of younger workers ($58,600 vs. $73,700), according to Pew Research – a gap Perrault describes as “both ageist and avoidable.”
Pointing out that “careers are more like winding roads than straight highways,” she suggested that HR leaders should support that reality by offering flexible career paths that adapt to the needs of older employees, many of whom face early or forced retirement. Options might include phased retirement or part-time roles that allow them to contribute to the business without the pressures of a traditional, full-time role, she proposed.
“This flexibility is not just a perk,” she said, “it’s a necessity in today’s multigenerational workplace.”