It didn’t matter that she had a track record of excellent performance, received five individual awards and over fifteen team awards. It didn’t matter that her status of Managing Director was earned with hard work and dedication over twenty two years. Meredith was youthful, savvy, and hip, but she was in her fifties, and considered a dinosaur by her co-workers. She was disrespected, labeled old fashioned, and forced out of her job.
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As men age, they are considered to be like a fine wine that increases in value. It is no secret in a society that is obsessed with physical appearance, that women fight a battle to stay relevant as they reach middle age. In the workplace, that can result in being passed over for promotions, marginalized, and pushed out to make room for younger employees. Age related assumptions create the perception that older workers, especially women, lack the stamina, aren’t technically savvy, and want to slow down; they aren’t invested in their careers. But the opposite is often true. It’s the company that is no longer invested in the older employee.
According to a HBR article on this topic, earlier in their careers, ‘they (women) were subjected to assumptions about whether their family obligations interfered with their commitment to work. And when their children grew up, they raced back into the workforce, only to see their careers stalled by a reduced tolerance for aging women at work’.
In a study from the National Bureau of Economic Research, the authors suggest two possible reasons why older female job seekers face more age discrimination than males: Age discrimination laws do less to protect older women who may suffer from both age and sex discrimination and, based on earlier research, they say ‘physical appearance matters more for women’ since ‘age detracts more from physical appearance for women than for men.’
While age discrimination is illegal, in practice it’s difficult to prove. A federal law called the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) protects people who are 40 years and older from age-based employment discrimination. This law prohibits discriminating against a person because of her age with respect to any term, or condition of employment, including promotions, compensation, benefits, assignments, training and of course, hiring itself.
What is especially challenging in age discrimination cases is proving age is the motivating factor. The 2009 Supreme Court case, Gross v. FBL, has made it tough for plaintiffs to make their cases. In that case, Jack Gross, a 54 year old vice president at FBL Financial, was among a dozen older employees being demoted. All were highly paid top performers. Gross sued for age discrimination and won in lower courts, but lost in the Supreme Court, which ruled that a plaintiff must prove that age was the reason for discrimination.
As in Meredith’s case, when an employer states they’re consolidating their workforce which results in pushing out older higher salaried employees, the employer can argue there are business reasons and cost cutting factors involved. In cases like this, the true motivation and, therefore, burden of proof becomes tricky in court. The plaintiffs are at a disadvantage.
Because of the challenge of proof, women being forced out of their jobs due to age discrimination have little recourse but to take the package offered and leave. Suing an employer can result in retaliation and difficulty finding another position. In the above mentioned story, Meredith hired an attorney and negotiated a settlement. She didn’t want to risk her reputation and that of her team in a messy law suit.
What can you do to protect yourself and avoid being forced out?
Know your value. How does your work contribute to positive business outcomes? How can you help the organization, your boss, and colleagues succeed? Take the time to self-reflect, understand and be able to articulate your value proposition. Communicate your accomplishments to your manager on a regular basis and keep a journal of your positive results.
Build cross generational networks. We gravitate to people who are most like us. That’s human nature. But moving out of your comfort zone and building relationships with co-workers across generations can help you stay relevant. You are exposed to new ideas, trends, opinions, and technology. Create mutually beneficial relationships by understanding how you can help others achieve their goals. Your experience in the workplace and your value proposition will help you nurture solid relationships of trust and influence. These relationships can change the perception that you’re old-fashioned and out of touch, and potentially these colleagues will advocate for you when your job is in peril.
Manage Up. Take the time to understand what your boss needs to be successful and position yourself as someone who will help him/her reach their goals. Observe who is in their sphere of influence and create visibility and credibility with them. You want to have as many advocates as possible, people who understand your value at all levels, but especially with people who have power and influence.
Find a sponsor. Identify potential sponsors and create visibility with them. What projects are important to them? Get involved on some of these projects to get exposure to a potential sponsor. Your sponsor should be at least two levels above you; someone who has the ability to create opportunities for you in the organization. Sponsors also have your back and allow you to take risks. When I asked Meredith what she thought she could have done to avoid being forced out, she said that having a sponsor within her department would have protected her from age discrimination.
Challenge your own assumptions about age. Are you thinking small and limiting yourself? Are you unconsciously avoiding high profile assignments because you assume the company wants a younger team? Do you hold yourself back because you think you’re too old to travel or take on more responsibilities? Your own assumptions can influence the perceptions of others. Work to challenge these assumptions and dispel them.
Know your rights. Knowledge is power. Familiarize yourself with the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Law (ADEA). As an employee over 40, you are protected from age discrimination by the law, and it’s important for you to understand it. And though the burden of proof gets muddied by gender discrimination and other workplace factors, knowing your rights helps you to stand in power. If you are let go and you suspect your age is a factor, referring to and leveraging your rights will help you negotiate a better settlement.
Document comments, interactions, and behavior. When you notice that age-related jokes or references pop-up, document, document, document. That documentation can help you win a law suit if you go that route or at the very least, give you leverage in negotiations.
Bonnie Marcus, M.Ed, CEC, is an executive coach, professional speaker, and author of The Politics of Promotion: How High Achieving Women Get Ahead and Stay Ahead. She helps women successfully navigate the complexities of the workplace to realize their ambition.
Originally published at Forbes