In California and elsewhere, the tech industry has skewed towards Millennials. While older engineers are often highly-qualified, many are concerned that they could lose their jobs. According to a study that surveyed 1011 U.S. tech workers who are currently employed, those over the age of 40 were worried about age discrimination because so many tech workers are significantly younger.
At work, 29 percent of the respondents who were over the age of 55 said that they felt that they were not taken seriously in the workplace at times due to their age. Further, 19 percent of those who were between the ages of 45 and 54 also felt that they were not taken seriously due to their age. On the flip side, 58 percent of those younger than 34 felt discounted due to their young age. Finally, 41 percent of those between 35 and 44 were concerned about how they were viewed in the workplace.
The concerns regarding age and job loss can influence behavior. For example, 19 percent of the survey participants say that they consider minimizing the amount of experience they have on their resumes.
When employees feel that they are not taken seriously due to their age, or they have reason to believe that younger individuals are being given more opportunities to advance, they may be experiencing workplace discrimination. An employment rights attorney may be able to help a client identify age discrimination in the workplace. In some cases, the attorney may gather all of the evidence that supports the allegations, including texts, employee performance reports and emails. In some cases, hiring and promotion patterns from the employer may also reveal discrimination. If there is enough evidence to support the allegations, the attorney may file a lawsuit against the employer as a way of obtaining compensation for the client.