Survey: Almost half of tech workers worry about losing their jobs because of ageism

Ageism I am afraid is present in a lot of industries, not only tech. It may be pronounced in tech only because of the real age disparity seen. I am sure non tech companies still look at older workers as more expensive, slower, more prone to sick days, driving up insurance costs, etc.

My goodness!

After reading you, I rather not make an opinion. LOLā€¦

It should be noted that the biggest place this takes effect is in VC funding. I know a small company with a great idea, and they have to select the youngest (and also most junior) person on their team to present because otherwise no one takes them seriously even though the older people have experience in multiple startup situations. Everyoneā€™s looking or the next Zuckerberg, and missing out on the great ideas.

But if your management is older, your workforce will be too. Watch Facebookā€“I bet you that what used to be all 20-25 years olds is going to end up getting older just as Zuckerberg does.

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I wonder if some is candidate decisions too. How many older people want to work for a CEO thatā€™s not much older than their own kids?

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Moral of the story: Be the moneyed VC, not the ones asking for money. Like Zuck.

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Absolutely. My husband toured Facebook back in 2009. He felt everyone there was 5 years his younger, unmarried, no kids, running around on rollerblades/skateboards (canā€™t remember which). For him, it wouldā€™ve been like being back in college again. It was a BIG No Thank You.

He toured again recently, and that whole age group was a bit older (in fact, some of my friends from collegeā€“and Iā€™m older than my husband by a lotā€“are now working there as managers).

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BTW: I will still maintain that I think healthism is way more prevalent than ageism. I really worry for my husbandā€“dark spots under his eyes, overweight, not getting a lot of sleep. If he walked into my office and asked to be hired, Iā€™d probably instantly say no. But if you have someone who looks fit and energetic and is 45 or 50, youā€™re way more likely to feel like they can handle the job and that they have a handle on their life-career balance.

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Itā€™s proven in studies that co-workers perceive over weight co-workers as lazier and less productive.

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Yes, squeeze your way into that 1% and be set for lifeā€¦ :rofl:

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