If you are 50 and not a vp you are on borrowed time
It su-ks but history shows it to be true. I've always wondered how they do it as I thought there were laws against it
Just remember if you are laid off it's because you fit a profile and not based on your actual worth.
Older = gone, high paid compared to peers = gone, bad reviews = gone.
It has nothing to do with you as a person
Nike has to do OWBPA (Older Workers Benefit Protection Act) disclosure and that one specifically states the ages and the titles of the people who were laid off vs those who were not but were presumably considered. However, this may oddly backfire younger folks if it comes to a choice between two employees of the same rank and pay, and one is older. They may let go of the younger one to look good in OWBPA.
Over 50 year old here (ancient by zoomer standards!) and can attest to the rampant ageism in corporate America. I've encountered lots of outdated attitudes in interviews that folks above a certain age (40?) are not malleable, we can't change, we're not tech-savvy, we're stuck in the old ways of doing things, etc. Add to this that most employers think we're also a drain on health care costs, will call in sick frequently, and will soon retire, and it becomes almost impossible to land a good role over a certain age. The irony is that I'm at the top of my game professionally with a can-do friendly attitude - most employers would be lucky to have me but it's been an uphill battle trying to convince them of my value.
To my female colleagues above a certain age, I feel for you even more as you have it even harder. I literally know a handful of swoosh colleagues who started budgeting professional hair dye & Botox into their budgets to try to avoid age discrimination in the workplace. And what about POC above a certain age? Yikes.
Yep - in my experience most companies are extremely age-ist. It's that impossible setup where they expect the work experience of a 50 year old, the energy of a 30 year old, and they want to pay us as if we're a 20 year old lol. Meanwhile, the GOP in the US keeps trying to increase the age of when we're eligible for social security - even if I'm ok working into my 60s, who's going to hire me? Am I supposed to be grateful for finding a job in fast food or retail in my 60s?
Beyond the age discrimination, most of us 40+ year olds have been here a while and make decent money - so if my age doesn't put me on a hit list for layoffs, then my salary/comp likely will. Oh joy!