Top > Webmaster > 2005 > November > 2005-11-01

Tech Industry Causes Rapid Ageism

Amicus, a research company, reveals that age discrimination regarding IT workers is a problem for both the younger and older employees. Calling on the union to require employers to start negotiations, these issues need to be tackled now, a year before legislation is introduced. Over 80% of IT workers in the UK are under 45, so Amicus is sending a personalized birthday card to Bill Gates to congratulate him on the rare feat of reaching 50 and still working in the IT sector.

Amicus national officer, Peter Skyte, says, `Amicus would like to wish Bill Gates a happy 50th birthday. We are calling on IT employers to recognize the skills and abilities of all their employees regardless of age.` A survey of 500 IT workers, conducted by the Labour Research Department found 71% of respondents believe their employer treats people less favorably because of age. Recruitment and redundancy selection were the two areas where most people felt discrimination existed (39% and 37% respectively), closely followed by pay (33%), promotion (33%) and training (29%).

`Companies are going to have to get their house in order. Talent and experience is being lost because of managers` stereotypical views - such as younger workers may be unreliable, or older workers find it difficult to gain new skills,` adds Peter Skyte. `By giving employers the chance to change their unfair practices voluntarily, we can avoid damaging legal cases once the anti-ageism legislation comes into place next year.` Young workers also felt the burn of ageism. One worker new to the industry replied he was treated like a child and not taken seriously by management while another young respondent felt they were passed over for promotion and was told their lower pay was justified because of being younger and having less responsibilities than older workers doing the same job.