When women think about ageism at work, it’s usually at the tail end of our career. But does ageism in the workplace for women go both ways?
For example, do women get discriminated against for being too young—and then again, as they reach a more mature age?
“The punchline is, they do,” says Alexis Krivkovich, Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company. “Women feel their age impacts their ability for opportunity. The real whammy for women is that that number is even higher earlier in their career. Nearly half of women under 30 say that their age is impacting their opportunities, and that is much higher than the percentage of men reporting the same. So you get hit on both sides.”
According to the 10th edition of the McKinsey and LeanIn.Org Women in the Workplace report, 49% of women under 30 have experienced ageism, compared to 38% of women over 60. Of particular interest is that levels of ageism equal out between men and women once they reach 60, so the disparity is more pronounced in younger workers.