age at work 36%


they want to see more diverse older people on screen, including older women. What is more, she adds, it makes commercial sense to recognise the considerable purchasing power of the baby-boomer generation and give them a bit more of what they want. Older women in the media have also found


Covid has been used as an excuse to terminate their contracts. One participant said that when lockdown restrictions were lifted, her older male colleagues returned to their jobs but she never got the call back. Some women took early retirement after


of those aged 50-70 years say their age is a


disadvantage when applying for jobs


Covid. Others have found new careers. Some are fighting back by creating their own media and developing opportunities for other women to thrive. Some, who won their tribunal cases but lost their careers, say they have no regrets because it was the right thing to do. Natasha Hirst, NUJ vice-president, says: “Sexism and ageism can often be subtle and hard to call out but still have the devastating impact of undermining confidence and opportunities or even cutting careers short. “As well as challenging discrimination where it occurs, it is important for the NUJ to work proactively with employers to eliminate poor practices and strengthen policies that support women in their careers.”


Assumptions about age Ross’s findings resonate with a report by the Centre for Ageing Better charity aimed at tackling ageism and stereotypes around age. Challenging Ageism: a Guide to Talking about Ageing and Older Age says: “Ageist attitudes have worrying consequences for physical and mental health.” It adds: “Age-based stereotypes can also


negatively impact experiences in the workplace, with 36 per cent of 50- to 70-year-olds saying that their age would disadvantage them in applying for jobs. “Assumptions that older workers are less


competent or less capable of learning new skills lead to people being forced out of the workforce or being passed over for job progression.” The future of work, skills and pay was discussed


at the recent International Longevity Centre UK’s 25th anniversary conference, the Future of Ageing 2022: a Vision for the Next 25 Years.. Tributes were paid to its founder, the late Baroness Sally Greengross OBE. Greengross, a crossbench peer and former director general of charity Age Concern England (now Age UK), was interested in the implications of longevity for intergenerational fairness. The final session at the event, the Greengross


Debate on the Future: Younger People’s Views on the Future of Ageing, was led by a panel of young representatives of the Hudl Youth Development Agency, who expressed concern at generations being pitted against each other. Crossbench peer Lord Simon Woolley, a former equality and human rights commissioner who became principal of Homerton College, Cambridge, at the age of 60, says: “Age is just a number.” He plans to keep active and has no plans to retire.


Jenny Sims is co-chair, NUJ 60+Council @Jenny__Sims


Union called on to combate ageism


TWO KEY strands of the NUJ 60+ Council’s remit are to oppose and publicise age-based discrimination and to campaign against ageism in the media. Professor Karen Ross’s


research into ‘gendered ageism’ in the media has shown it is still rife. Her findings are timely and


add weight to the council’s motion on ageism scheduled for the NUJ’s upcoming delegate meeting in April 2023. This will call on the union to


reinforce its efforts ‘to combat ageist discrimination in the workplace and ageist stereotypes in the media. Nicoletta Flessati, the council’s lead on ageism, says: “Age


discrimination and age-based prejudice have an impact on at least one in three older people, resulting in many leaving the labour market for good. “Age diversity is a plus for


an organisation and demonstrates that it values the skills and experience of older workers as part of a multigenerational workforce.” The charity Centre for Ageing


Better (CAB) has been testing a number of ways to provide more effective employment support for people aged 50 and over. This includes better training


for work coaches; better support for older workers facing redundancy and tailored help for


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people who have fallen out of the labour market completely. Senior Reporter, the 60+


council’s newsletter, has drawn attention to a number of CAB publications addressing ageism during the last year. These have included guidance


for employers (below) and the media for avoiding ageist stereotyping of older people. These are available at https:// ageing-better.org.uk/resources.


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