If you work in the tech field, age discrimination is something you may be worried about — and with good reason.
Often viewed as a field for the young, there are many examples of age discrimination coming out of the tech industry.
One woman’s story illustrates the problems for older workers
For instance, one woman said she could not land a job in her field that was at a similar level as her previous job, and she was forced to move instead. She was 54 years old. She said that her age was likely the reason employment in tech was so hard to find. She knew she was qualified, capable and experienced, but being over 50 was holding her back.
Within the tech industry, being an “older” worker could still mean being far younger than you’d think. For instance, many general workers who complain about age discrimination are in their 50s and 60s, and reasons that employers won’t hire them often include younger workers charging lower rates or employers wanting to fire workers before they draw a pension.
However, in the technology field, even those who are 35 years of age and above may be viewed as “older” and face significant hurdles finding jobs in a market dominated by 20-somethings. In something like finance or manufacturing, 35 years of age would still be viewed as fairly young.
What are your rights against age discrimination?
As you can see, age discrimination looks very different from one industry to the other. No matter what, though it is illegal and you do have rights. If you’ve fallen victim to age discrimination, find out more about what it takes to pursue a claim against your former employer.
