Almost 90% of workers aged over 55 believe they suffered age discrimination when looking for jobs. More than a third of respondents to a new survey also said employers considered them too old for sectors such as IT.

The research into ageism and bullying by the National Anti-Bullying Research and Resource Centre (ABC) at Dublin City University found that discrimination against older workers began as early as the recruitment stage.

The report states this has largely to do with the stereotyping of older workers. The negative stereotypes include features like resistance to change and less ability to learn new skills, especially in technology. But evidence to support these stereotypes is rarely found and the capacity of older people to learn is largely unaffected by age.

The evidence strongly indicates that older people are more likely to report incidents of bullying than any other negative event. There is further evidence that older people are regarded as being unsuitable for acquiring new skills and encounter barriers associated with pensions and taxation.

However, the research states older workers often take the view that the opportunity to learn new skills is crucial and continued job training is necessary over the years to retirement.

The report states that older employees were criticised more severely and often managers took the view that the performance of older workers bore an inherent relationship to their age. There is also evidence regarding the retirement intentions of older workers and bullying, and other negative experiences which can impact on retirement decisions.

Ireland currently has one of the youngest populations in the European Union, but the Central Statistics Office anticipates that the number of people over 65 years of age will rise from 630,000 in 2016 to around 1.5 million by 2051.

This means that older people will be working for a longer period due to longer lives, changes in provision to pensions, changes in house rental and ownership, and changes in overall quality of life and work-life balance.

Age discrimination is outlawed under equality legislation, and the researchers behind the report have called for greater awareness of legislation among managers and staff.

The health department was recently told to pay a Fórsa member €40,000 for age discrimination after the union took her case to the Workplace Relations Commission.

Read the report HERE.

It’s never been more important – or easier – to get the protections and benefits of union membership. Join Fórsa HERE or contact us HERE.