Ageism in the workplace

You may have thought that ageism happens to people closer to retirement age, but it's in fact younger than that. Here to talk about ageism in the workplace and who it is impacting the most is HR expert Sherry Rabinovich. Good morning, Sherry, it's great to see you. Good morning, Laura. It's always so lovely to see you. First of all, Sherry, before we get into this topic, you were on the show back in May talking about mental health in the workplace and your own personal struggles with burnout, and there was such an outpouring of support and appreciation for you. I just want to know how you're doing. Oh, well, now you're going to get me all the Clemson live TV. Thank you. No, I, I really am touched. I am doing well. I am certainly in a much better place. And I think what happened out of that story was so many people came forward with their own personal struggles. And I think that's the objective of why we do these segments, even if it's about work. Women start, especially women, but everybody starts talking about things that they were afraid of talking about before. So thank you to you, Laura, for allowing me the platform. Oh, well, it is my pleasure to do so. Thank you for coming forward. And I'm just so happy to hear that that something really positive has come out of it. OK. I wasn't happy, Sherry, to read these statistics that you brought to my attention, which you're going to be bringing to everyone's attention this morning. When it comes to ageism in the workplace, it is worse than I imagined. Can you provide some of those findings for us? Unfortunately, yes, because it's directly, again, impacting me. So who would have thought 45 was old? So there you go. These statistics are Nearly 80% of women surveyed in internationally by a Toronto based organization said they encountered age-related discrimination in their careers. 45 plus. Yikes. What does that say for everybody else? And other shocking statistics. One for me was that they encountered ageism just 21 years in in their career. And when I see that, I think, OK, this person brings experience to the table. This person is wise, this person is talented. We have it all wrong here, Sherry. We clearly we do 'cause I am of the same philosophy as somebody who is an HR professional. I look at someone with that experience and say, great, we're getting this. There's an, a, a, a, a wisdom that they're sharing. And that experience you need in order to be effective is certainly at a higher level. And this is happening at every echelon of an organization. So it's it's troubling. And what's happening is it's manifesting itself in Canada as well. So it's not just in remote areas. It's right here in our backyard, so to speak. Yeah. OK. Can you provide some examples on how it's being manifested here at home? Yes. So we know a famous situation where a woman was told to color her hair because she was no longer deemed youthful, although that wasn't what they said. Just color your hair, Why did you let it go grey? And other women subsequently to to that particular person who is in the public. I have also said that they've been told the same advised by recruiters. This one really, really bothered me to adjust their CV to minimize their experience. Yeah, that's mind boggling. Yeah, it's just all of it is mind boggling and flat out not being hired. So not give being given a reason, even though they're probably overqualified or adequately qualified and can bring tremendous value to an organization that is flat out being ignored. They're not even getting a chance to get into the into the interview or to the table. OK, we're we're too passionate about this that I only have a minute left, but I need some advice. How can we overcome this, Sherry? So I really keep keep at it. Ultimately, when it comes down to is the right company that sees your worth is where you want to be. And if they're not hiring you because of all the reasons we discuss and so many more, then really they're not the place for you. And there will be somewhere that is going to and keep demonstrating your value through your leadership. Create your own opportunities. As we've talked about, you know, over the last several years, you and I create your own opportunities. What stops you from becoming an entrepreneur and starting your own business and remain true yourself. You know, we know as women, regardless of our age, how awesome we are and just keep being awesome. Yeah. And 45 is young, and you're just in the prime of your life. I couldn't agree with you more as 50 is knocking on my door. Laura, I couldn't agree with you more. Oh, well, thank you so much for having this important discussion with us. So, Sherry, it's often overlooked, but ageism exists, and we need to overcome it. Thank you so much. We do. Thank you so much again, Laura and I appreciate the time.