Ageism in the Workplace: When Experience Is Treated as a Liability

Ageism in the Workplace: When Experience Is Treated as a Liability

There’s something that comes with time that no degree, certification, or software can replace — lived experience. The kind of experience that teaches you how to navigate conflict, recognize risk before it becomes a crisis, and lead with calm when things don’t go as planned. Yet in today’s workplace, experience is often quietly discounted. Resumes are passed over for being “too senior,” voices are ignored because they’re seen as “outdated,” and loyal employees feel pushed aside just as their wisdom is most valuable.

Ageism doesn’t always show up as something obvious or cruel. More often, it’s subtle. It’s the training opportunities that stop coming. The promotion that never materializes. The assumption that someone won’t “keep up” with change. It affects older employees who feel invisible and younger employees who aren’t taken seriously because they’re “too new.” Both sides lose — and so does the organization. When we dismiss experience or potential based on age, we lose mentorship, continuity, and trust.

From a legal standpoint, age discrimination is not just unethical — it’s unlawful. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act protects employees and applicants who are 40 and older from discrimination in hiring, promotions, pay, job assignments, and terminations. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission continues to see age discrimination among the most frequently filed claims. What makes these cases especially damaging is that they often stem from patterns — repeated decisions, offhand comments, or “business justifications” that unintentionally target age rather than performance.

But beyond the legal risk is the human cost. People want to feel valued for who they are and what they bring to the table. Employees with years of experience often carry institutional knowledge, emotional intelligence, and problem-solving skills built through real life — not theory. When they feel dismissed, morale drops, engagement suffers, and turnover rises. You can’t replace that kind of loss with software or speed.

At Lifted Ledger, we believe people are not expenses to manage — they are assets to protect. Building age-inclusive workplaces isn’t about choosing youth over experience or vice versa. It’s about creating environments where knowledge is shared, voices are respected, and decisions are based on ability and contribution, not assumptions. When leaders invest in people across every stage of their careers, they don’t just reduce legal risk — they build stronger, more resilient organizations rooted in trust, wisdom, and humanity.