Age stereotypes defunct
17 Februrary 2005
Traditional age stereotypes are challenged by the Employers Forum on Age (EFA) in research that reveals unexpected new truths about every age group at work 1.
Age at Work reveals:
- It's a myth that age discrimination only affects the 50+ age group: ageism at work is a bigger problem for people in their late teens than their 50s: 25% of school leavers have faced age discrimination compared to 21% of those over 50 and 18% of those over 60;
- Young people are denied interesting and challenging jobs, which is why they move on frequently: it's nothing to do with a lack of 'loyalty'; 70% believe a career path is important - the highest among all groups yet only a quarter are given interesting challenges and 21% claim what they do is boring;
- Women's promotion prospects suffer from their 20s onwards even before they have children: 37% of men in their 20s hold management positions compared to just 24% of their female counterparts. This challenges current wisdom that women only lose out when they have families;
- People in their 50's and 60's aren't all rushing to retire: 30% of people are happy to work until they're 70 and 13% dread retirement, a feeling that increases with age;
- People are happier at work the older they get: 93% of the over 60s like work - the highest among all age groups;
- Although people in their 30s are at the 'peak' of their career, they're under the most pressure at work and least want to be there. Just 54% of those in their 30s are happy with their work-life balance and just 17% are happy to work until they're 70 - the lowest numbers among all age groups;
- Older employees aren't all technophobic: the over 50s are as keen to get to grips with new technology as teenagers. Seventy-four per cent of the over 50s like to keep up with new technology, only 5% fewer than teenagers.
Sam Mercer, Director of the EFA, says:
"This is a wake-up call for employers: we need to break the stereotype habit and be much more aware of peoples' needs at different stages of their working lives. Our research maps, for the first time, the motivations and attitudes of different age groups - and is an invaluable resource for employers that need to understand their workforces.
"People of all ages have something to offer at work but a clear message comes through from this research that they do not feel well managed or supported. Employers must recognise that a 'one size fits all' approach to management based on stereotypes is flawed. It would make much more sense to find ways to retain and motivate workers, and offer flexibility, training and development - irrespective of age."
For a copy of Age at Work please visit www.efa.org.uk or contact the EFA on 0845 456 2495.
1The EFA commissioned focus groups, in-depth and telephone interviews among nearly 1700 employed people aged 16-70. The findings of this research were cross-referenced with statistics from the Labour Force Surveys 2003/04.
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