Breaking Down the Stigma of Aging in the Workplace

About the Author

Ron B is a globally recognized expert in personal and professional development, holding multiple advanced certifications, including:

• Master Practitioner of NLP (MNLP): Expert in Neuro-Linguistic Programming, helping individuals rewire their thought patterns for success.

• Master NLP Coach (Executive & Life): Skilled in coaching executives and individuals to reach their full potential.

• Master Practitioner of Timeline Therapy™ (MTLT): Specializing in releasing negative emotions and limiting beliefs to foster a more empowered future.

• Board Designated Hypnosis Trainer (TCHt): Authority in utilizing hypnosis for transformation and behavioral change.

• Certified Value Builder: Proficient in enhancing business value and driving entrepreneurial success.

• International Tax Specialist: Knowledgeable in global tax strategies and financial planning.

With a deep passion for guiding people towards greater health and wealth, Ron B has dedicated their career to being a catalyst for change. They advocate for a shift from our current reactive sick care system to one of proactive care, empowering individuals to take charge of their well-being and financial future.

Through this blog, Ron B aims to share insights, strategies, and inspiration, helping entrepreneurs lead energized and lengthy lives that are fulfilling.

Why Experience Should Be a Superpower, Not a Stereotype

Let’s shine a light on an issue that’s long overdue for a reframe:
👉🏽 Ageism in the workplace.

Even in organizations that pride themselves on inclusion and innovation, subtle biases about age often linger under the radar. If you’re over 45—or climbing past 50—you may have felt it:

• Being passed over for projects
• Assumptions about slowing down or retiring soon
• Tech training going to “the young guns”
• Or being labeled as “set in your ways”

And here on The Longevity Train, we believe: Age doesn’t diminish value. It multiplies it.

The Problem: Silent Bias in Plain Sight

Despite legal protections like the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, age bias remains one of the most pervasive and least challenged forms of workplace discrimination. A 2024 Resume Now survey revealed that 90% of U.S. workers over 40 have experienced age-related bias at work.

And it’s not just perception. Research consistently finds that older employees are often assumed to be less adaptable, less tech-savvy, or more expensive to train—none of which holds up to the data.

These silent biases shape hiring decisions, limit advancement opportunities, and create environments where older workers feel invisible or undervalued.

What Experienced Professionals Bring to the Table

Let’s flip the script and look at what aging workers actually bring:

• Wisdom & Pattern Recognition – Decades of experience yield intuitive insight that no AI can match.
• Resilience – Life has tested them. They’ve adapted, pivoted, and rebuilt.
• Emotional Intelligence – With age comes emotional regulation, diplomacy, and leadership maturity.
• Mentorship Capacity – Older professionals often become cultural stabilizers and natural guides.
• Strategic Thinking – They’re less reactive and more big-picture focused.
• Loyalty – Older workers tend to stay longer, lowering turnover.

What Companies Can Do

Forward-thinking organizations are already proving that age inclusion isn’t just good ethics—it’s smart business.

Take The Home Depot, for example.
Known for its commitment to hiring older workers, Home Depot has created a culture where experience is not just welcomed—it’s relied upon.

During a recent visit, I was encouraged to “look for the older staff—they know their stuff.” That advice wasn’t cynical—it was spot on.

They provide flexible scheduling, inclusive workspaces, and genuine respect for seasoned staff.
And customers notice the difference.

👉🏽 Business Spotlight: How Home Depot Gets It Right

In a world where age is often undervalued, The Home Depot stands out for its bold embrace of experienced workers. Their culture empowers older workers with flexible roles, consistent respect, and space to shine. The culture actively champions older adults.

What many don’t know is that Home Depot’s age-positive approach also extends to employment policy:

• They’ve supported legislative movements that extend working and saving years, aligning with federal laws like the SECURE Act, which raised the retirement savings and RMD thresholds.
  
  
• Internally, Home Depot does not impose a mandatory retirement age, and many of their associates stay well beyond 65, even into their 70s—by choice.
  
  
• They’ve collaborated with AARP to actively recruit workers 55+, offering flexible roles, benefits, and training to help older adults start or restart careers later in life.

🧡 Home Depot doesn’t just hire older workers. It empowers them—through culture, career flexibility, and policy advocacy that extends working life.

Experience isn’t a liability. It’s an asset—and Home Depot proves it.  This isn’t tokenism. It’s smart, sustainable workforce design.

Other companies can follow suit by:

1. Debiasing hiring and promotion practices
   Shift from “culture fit” to “culture add.” Value what age brings.
   
   
2. Encouraging reverse mentoring
   Younger employees offer tech fluency; older employees deliver strategic and interpersonal depth.
   
   
3. Designing inclusive benefits
   Think phased retirements, cross-training, and intergenerational collaboration.
   
   
4. Creating learning opportunities for all ages
   Professional development shouldn't stop at 40—or 60.

What Professionals 45+ Can Do

Let’s be clear: you are not a relic—you are a resource.

If you’re navigating the silent weight of ageism, here’s your power play:

• Stay curious. Stay current. Stay engaged.
• Be vocal about your contributions. Keep receipts.
• Build your personal brand inside and outside the workplace.
• Mentor up and mentor across—your value scales.

And never stop investing in your energy, health, and mindset. That’s where the Longevity Train always starts.

LIFESPAN + HEALTHSPAN = WORKSPAN GROWTH

One more layer to this conversation: people today aren’t just living longer—they’re feeling healthier longer, too. That means the average "workspan"—the years we choose or need to stay in the workforce—is expanding as well. With medical advances and lifestyle shifts boosting health into our 60s, 70s, and beyond, companies need to rethink career arcs that previously peaked at 50 or 55.  Aging professionals aren’t slowing down—they’re stepping up in vitality and capability well past traditional retirement age, and that is something to celebrate as opposed to dismissal.

The Longevity Train Perspective

We’re on a mission to dismantle the outdated narrative that aging equals decline. Because the truth is:

Aging is refinement. Not retirement.

The new workforce model needs multi-generational minds—blending the spark of youth with the clarity of experience. And that blend is the competitive edge of the future.

Next Stop?

• Navigating career stagnation?
• Feeling unseen?
• Wondering how to evolve instead of exit?

📞 Let’s talk. Book a call and let’s craft your next chapter—with clarity, confidence, and catalytic strategy.

📚 References (APA-style)

• AARP. (2023). Older Workers and Work: Employer Practices and Attitudes. https://www.aarp.org/research
• Bain & Company. (2024). Better with Age: The Rising Importance of Older Workers. https://www.bain.com
• Harvard Business Review. (2020). Unlocking the Benefits of the Multigenerational Workforce. https://hbr.org
• Harris, K., Krygsman, S., Waschenko, J., & Rudman, D. L. (2016). Ageism and the older worker: A scoping review. The Gerontologist, 58(2), e1–e14. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnw194
• Internal Revenue Service. (2023). Retirement Plan Changes under the SECURE Act. https://www.irs.gov
• Resume Now Survey. (2024, Dec 1). Older workers bring a lot to the table—yet are often overlooked. New York Post. https://nypost.com
• Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). (2022). Combating Age Bias in the Workplace. https://www.shrm.org
• Taneva, S., & Peng, Z. (2024). Age-inclusive workplaces and their impact on emotional resilience. Organizational Behavior Journal, 39(1), 22–35.
• U.S. Department of Labor. (2024). Older Workers: Demographic Trends and the Future of Work. https://www.dol.gov
• U.S. Senate Finance Committee. (2023). Understanding the SECURE Act and Its Impact on Retirement Policy. https://www.finance.senate.gov