TRENDS 2020 Cultural Challenges This historic surge of 65+ workers in the coming decades is also workforce longer. In particular, the data show that extended senior likely to surface new challenges — most importantly, rising ageism citizen employment had no impact youth job opportunities or JOB & HIRING in the workplace — that employers will be under increasing wages. “If anything,” the researchers summarized, “the opposite is pressure to combat. According to a Glassdoor survey, 45 percent true.” That’s an important message for HR teams to communicate of employed adults in the U.S. and 39 percent in the UK have to younger workers in the coming decade. witnessed or experienced ageism in the workplace. Although employers around the globe have tackled important issues of GLASSDOOR'S QUESTION gender identity and ethnic diversity in the workplace in recent years, the issue of age bias has gotten much less attention — “Do you think people staying in the workforce longer is mostly a good something we expect to change in 2020 and beyond. thing or mostly a bad thing for American workers in general?” Mostly a good thing Mostly a bad thing A common myth that fuels ageism in many workplaces is a perception that by delaying retirement, older workers may be 50% hurting the career advancement of younger workers, blocking 50% their path to promotion. For example, a recent Associated Press 40% survey showed that younger workers have a much more negative 39% view than older workers of employees extending their time in the 30% 30% workforce; 50 percent of older employees viewed seniors working longer as positive for workers, while just 30 percent of younger 20% workers agreed. 19% 10% In reality, research shows that young workers have little to fear from older workers staying in the workforce longer. Using data 0% from 1977 to 2011, a study from Stanford’s Institute for Economic Younger Workers Older Workers (18 - 49 years) (50+ years) Policy Research shows no evidence that younger workers’ opportunities were diminished by older workers staying in the Source: Associated Press, NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. 22