Age is the Inclusion Gap Hiding in Plain Sight

Age remains one of the most overlooked barriers to truly inclusive workplaces in the UK. While DEIB strategies have advanced gender, ethnicity and other dimensions of inclusion, age is still often an afterthought—even though it is the one dimension that affects everyone over time.

Demographic change makes action urgent

As demographic shifts accelerate, closing this gap is becoming more urgent. According to the Centre for Ageing Better, by 2035 more than half of UK adults will be aged 50 or over. With birth rates falling and people living and working longer, older workers will be central to future talent strategies.

Yet age bias still shapes hiring, progression and retention. Research from 55/Redefined found that 68% of over-55s feel the jobs market is closed to them, while recent polling suggests applicants become significantly less desirable to employers in their mid-50s. Older employees are often among the first made redundant during cost-cutting and the last rehired, reflecting persistent stereotypes about health, energy and digital capability.

The reality is different. Older workers bring experience, institutional knowledge and resilience. Many are motivated by purpose, mentoring and meaningful contribution, not simply career progression.

For women, ageism is often compounded by gender. 

Midlife can be a particularly challenging career stage, as menopause, caring responsibilities and redundancy intersect with workplace bias. Research from the Centre for Ageing Better’s Age Without Limits campaign found that women over 50 are more likely than men to experience age-related discrimination. More than a third (36%) reported feeling patronised because of their age; 27% said they had been ignored and 18% dismissed.

Organisations must act deliberately: make age a core pillar of DEIB, challenge bias in recruitment and promotion, and equip leaders to foster collaboration across generations. Left unaddressed, ageism risks becoming normalised. In an ageing workforce, age inclusion is not only a moral imperative it is a business-critical priority that will shape organisational resilience, innovation and performance.

Sources: Centre for Ageing Better (State of Ageing 2025; Age Without Limits 2024); 55/Redefined, Shut Out, Forced Out and Overlooked; People Management/Centre for Ageing Better research (2026).