Jobs market and retail service are hotspots for age discrimination


Over 1,000 survey respondents shared their experiences of age-based exclusion with NSA research.

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Report reveals workplace ageism


Nearly one in four human resources professionals consider workers aged 51 to 55 as “older”, according to a new report that reveals ageism in hiring is a major concern in Australia.

That figure is up from 10% in a similar survey two years ago, suggesting the situation is getting worse. 

The Older and Younger Workers: What do Employers Think? report, jointly produced by the Australian Human Rights Commission and the Australian Human Resources Institute, also found that while older workers are valued for loyalty, reliability, and resilience, only 28% of employers say they are open to hiring someone aged 65 or over. 

Barriers to hiring older people include few applicants (36%), high salary expectations (32%), and “too much experience” (28%). 

Age Discrimination Commissioner, Robert Fitzgerald, told ABC News, “The tragedy is so many employers still have biases and stereotypes, make recruitment decisions based on age and there is an in-built prejudice.

“We won't solve the productivity problem that Australia has [unless] we increase the labour force participation rate significantly.” 

The report makes 18 recommendations including calls for age-neutral job advertisements, skills-based hiring practices, flexible working arrangements, and career-transition support for employees. 

The jobs market and service in shops are two hotspots for age-based discrimination, according to new NSA research. 

The 2024 National Seniors Social Survey (NSSS) invited older Australians to comment on whether they had experienced exclusion or discrimination based on their age. Around 2,500 people responded, with just over 1,000 (40%) indicating they had experienced these forms of marginalisation. 

But the comments showed ageist exclusion and discrimination can take different forms, as well as occurring in different arenas of life. 

Most obviously, there are cases where people suspect they’ve been discriminated against because of age, often in jobs and workplaces. 

People also sometimes feel ignored, unheard, and left out by others because of their age. In the comments this was primarily in retail and hospitality settings but also at social or community events. 

Some commenters also mentioned age limits – usually legally permitted – on them purchasing specific goods (e.g., credit cards), obtaining services (e.g. NDIS support), or participating in activities (e.g., driving). 

A few wrote about being unable to access something because of technological barriers that affect older people more than younger people. They experienced this as a form of exclusion too.

Job applications and workplaces


More than a third of commenters wrote about discrimination when applying for jobs or when already in a job.

Story after story recounted the frustration of applying for jobs that they were well-suited to, and doing fine until the prospective employer caught sight of their date of birth or grey hair. 

Other commenters didn’t even get as far as an interview, churning out innumerable applications with no response from employers, before giving up and retiring early. 

Occasionally, commenters were told directly that their age was an issue, often in direct contravention of anti-discrimination laws. For example: 

“I had to reduce my age to enable me to obtain employment. Some job advertisements only require young people.” 

“When trying to get a part time job, several months ago, I was told they were worried that the job would be too tiring for me.” 

“One employer saying, ’I will not employ you, if you slip on my floor, it goes on my workers’ comp’.” 

Numerous commenters also reported that while in employment, they were not given promotions and other opportunities that younger employees received. 

A few reported incidents of shockingly overt ageism, such as the person who wrote: 

“My manager was overheard at a meeting, saying that he didn’t want anyone over 45 in the department. People were picked off, one at a time. Some left, some were unfairly persecuted on things that were not their fault and there was a mass resignation on one day of 14 people partly because they were so appalled with the way they observed treatment of good staff and partly because they didn’t want to be next. There was no one left over 45, and then he moved on.” 

Being invisible in shops and cafes


Another prominent theme came from over 100 comments about feeling invisible and ignored in retail, hospitality, and other customer service situations.

In particular, many respondents wrote of being completely ignored by shop assistants, especially in clothing and technology stores. 

People’s experiences included being served last despite being first in the queue, having their younger companion addressed instead of them, or literally being treated as if they were not there. 

Comments included: 

“As I age, I find I am sometimes bypassed in queues or when requesting service.” 

“In shops with my daughter, the shop assistants may direct their responses to her, even though I am asking the questions. Especially with tech matters, there is an assumption that, because I have grey, I could not possibly understand.” 

“Ignored when waiting at the bar to buy a drink.” 

We have produced a spin-off report specifically about ageism in retail and hospitality, to draw attention to this under-reported form of ageist exclusion, to be published later this year. 

Treated as if you don’t matter


Some of the sadder comments were from respondents who noticed family or friends had stopped inviting them to social events, or had started ignoring them when they did attend events. 

For example, one person mentioned being “left alone at large gatherings”, while another was frustrated at “people not listening when raising topics for discussion”. 

Perhaps more disturbingly, a number of comments pertained to medical settings in which older people’s health concerns were dismissed by professionals. 

Some were denied treatment: 

“My doctor told me it was a waste of taxpayer's money to provide the surgery I needed.” 

Some were denied a proper diagnosis: 

“[The doctor] often blames everything on the ageing process.” 

Some were treated as cognitively impaired either for unrelated problems such as a torn tendon, or when others’ incompetence had caused a problem: 

“An assumption by medical staff that I was confusing medical appointments – I wasn’t... the receptionist was making alterations to appointments without notifying patients of the change.” 

Ageism is illegal but ever-present


Most of these exclusionary behaviours are illegal under the 2004 Age Discrimination Act. Many of them have been documented before by researchers. Yet they continue. 

The behaviours are symptoms of an underlying culture that devalues older people and ageing itself. 

This is why the Every Age Counts campaign still exists in Australia – a campaign NSA supported from its inception. 

Unfortunately, the campaign is still needed. All of us must be vigilant to the forms of ageism in our community and how we can push back against it. 

Read the full report here

Authors

Diane Hosking, PhD

Diane Hosking, PhD

Head of Research, National Seniors Australia Canberra.

Lindy Orthia, PhD

Lindy Orthia, PhD

Senior Research Officer, National Seniors Australia Canberra

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