He’s too old for this.
A Gen Xer sparked a fiery conversation about ageism in the workplace — and many agreed with his sentiment.
“I may never ever get hired again,” Bradley Richardson, a 58-year-old who now peddles ‘adulting’ courses online, said in an Instagram video.
He claimed that despite having skills and experience, he believes his age now disqualifies him from traditional employment.
“I will make money, but I may never be an employee or get a job ever again because of my age,” he said. His post quickly gained traction with nearly 30,000 likes and over 4,000 comments.
Richardson’s concerns resonated with many Gen Xers and Boomers, who echoed his sentiment that ageism is a real barrier in today’s job market.
Some pointed to the added challenges faced by older workers from marginalized communities, where their race, gender, and sexuality further worsen the discrimination.
A survey conducted by resume-building site Resume Now proved all of their worries to be true. It pointed out that, sadly, 90% of workers over the age of 40 have experienced ageism in the workplace, and almost half of the respondents witnessed their employer hiring predominantly young workers.
Many people empathized with the Gen Xer in the comment section of his viral video.
“I’m 46 and I’m already feeling it in my industry.”
“I’m 42 and I feel this hard.”
Others insisted their skills remain valuable and said they continue to find work with companies that prioritize experience and reliability.
“I was thinking the very same at the age of 58 I needed to find work. Took a few months but it happened. Best company ever. I’m old enough to be everyone’s father but they love me and I love them.”
“I just hired a 60 and 63 yo because they were amazing candidates. Age doesn’t matter.”
“I got a job at 62. I just turned 65, told the company I think I want to retire. They told me “you can’t leave us” and handed me an 8% raise. Good people can always get a job at any age!”
If you think you are experiencing ageism where you work — maybe you got laid off due to your age or passed up for a promotion by a younger colleague — Midtown East attorney Albert Rizzo suggests speaking to an employment attorney.
“An attorney will want to understand what actions the employer has taken and whether those actions were based on the employee’s age,” said Rizzo.
“Any adverse action may create a viable claim. These actions can include failure to promote, denial of privileges given to other employees, exclusion from meetings and projects.”
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