Bill Howell, who has more than 30 years’ experience as an engineer, said ageism in the workplace has left him unsure if he will ever be recruited in a full-time position again. The 60-year-old, from Berkshire, said he has faced ageist treatment on many occasions and now, he and his wife are “genuinely worried” about what the future holds for them. Mr Howell was made redundant during the Covid pandemic, and since then, both he and his wife have been in and out of short-term temporary and contract roles.

Finding career advancement harder

He said: “Initially, my career was on a great track but, in my late thirties, I was finding that career advancement wasn’t always open for me, but more to recent graduates. With the technology industry going through constant change, especially with mergers and acquisitions, I found myself, along with other senior employees, often at the wrong end of redundancy. From my mid-forties, I found the successes of acquiring a new suitable role harder and harder with more rejections and ghosting from agencies and employers.” Repeated rejections mean he isn’t in a position to retire anytime soon, despite nearing the retirement age of 66. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Ageism in the workplace

It comes as campaigners reveal a “worryingly high” proportion of the country still believing in ageist myths around older workers’ competency and value in the workplace. According to the Centre for Ageing Better, one in four people (24 per cent) think it doesn’t make business sense to employ someone over 50 because they will be a slow worker who won’t be able to adapt. More than one in five people (22 per cent) also think it’s a waste of resources to give in-job training to someone over 50 because they don’t think older workers are likely to stay in their role for long. The survey also reveals that around one in three members of the public (32 per cent) think that people become less competent using technology as they get older. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Told younger workers would be a 'better fit'

Mr Howell said he has started to notice the effect this stress is having on his health and wellbeing. Several examples of ageism in the workplace he has experienced include a steadily growing proportion of application rejections since his forties, joke references made about his age during the recruitment process and being told outright that a younger person “would be a better fit” with a team’s dynamic. He added that he noticed a cooling off in interest once employers see his age in face-to-face stages in recruitment process. He said: “When our incomes have been varied, and often a fraction of what we are used to, it has been challenging just to cover life’s costs. We have no or little company pensions and/or disposable income to plan for an effective retirement. While we cut back as much as we can, we still need to rely on savings to pay our way. Any potential for a healthy retirement now looks very unlikely.” (Photo: Peter Dazeley/Getty)

Forced downsizing

He is worried the couple will be forced to downsize and give up their hobbies and interests as a result. “We would have to give up most of our hobbies due to the lack of space, and interests that define us, keep us fit and active, mentally stimulated and engaging with like-minded people. This is genuinely causing us sleepless nights and constant worry to what our future holds.” (Photo: Dinendra Haria/Anadolu Agency via Getty)

Changing employer attitudes

Dr Carole Easton OBE, chief executive at the Centre for Ageing Better, said: “It is so dispiriting that these attitudes persist when older workers have such potential to tackle skills shortages, help businesses to thrive and grow our national economy. It is also concerning that the prevalence of ageist attitudes is higher among people with the highest educational qualifications who are most likely to make decisions around hiring, promoting and developing workers who are in their fifties and sixties. Little wonder that older workers are less likely to receive in-work training, are more likely to be made redundant and experience greater difficulties finding work. It doesn’t have to be this way. By noticing and challenging ageism in the workplace, we can change employer attitudes to older workers and help everyone to fulfil their potential in later life.” (Photo: Joe Giddens/PA)

The difficulties of tackling ageism

Mr Howell said ageism in the UK is forcing more people into poverty, with many older people willing to work, but struggling to secure employment because of the views people hold. “Tackling ageism is always going to be a tough one as I believe that the issue lies deep within the individual and not necessarily with the organisation as a whole and establishing proof of any age-based bias by an individual or group can be challenging to prove. People and business need to get back to having respect for older people and what they can offer. This is something I once saw in the UK, but not for many decades.” (Photo: pcess609/Getty/iStockphoto)