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Ann Hummond knew the office software like the back of her hand. Based in Yorkshire, England, she could untangle any spreadsheet snafu in her sleep. Over the past 23 years, she had worked her way up from a data entry clerk to her finance companys administrative director, quietly becoming the person everyone relied on when things went sideways. She was, in short, indispensable. And then, one Tuesday morning last year, during a quarterly team meeting attended by directors, colleagues, and a team leader, her bosswho is nearly 10 years her seniortold her publicly, in a roomful of people: Youre too old to do this job. I must have looked like a goldfish with my mouth open, says Hummond, whose name and location have been changed for job security reasons. I felt like I had been hit on the head with a shovel, she says. Hummond, who speaks about her experience for the U.K.s Age Without Limits campaign to raise awareness of ageism in England, says she didnt break down in the meeting. I didnt want to give him the pleasure of seeing how much he had hurt me, she says. Instead, she coolly finished her work day, gathered her belongings, and then went home and fell to pieces. Although she took two weeks off work, quitting at the age of 64 was not an option. I cant afford to give up working. I have lots of responsibilities and a family to support, and I need to build up more savings. She also knows the prospect of finding a new job often collides with the cold reality of age bias, and is still working at the company. Age discrimination is one of the last accepted prejudicestolerated in jokes, embedded in hiring, and often brushed off as pragmatism rather than bias. In the U.S., legislation against it has existed since the passage of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act in 1967. Yet, Between 1997 and 2024, the number of age discrimination charges filed with the EEOC exceeded 15,000 in every year except fourthree of which were right after the pandemic, which caused a dip in all employment discrimination litigation, says Nicole Buonocore Porter, law professor at William & Mary Law School. Research suggests ageism is underreported to begin with. Jobs, across cultures, are quietly coded by age. Regardless of industry, workers experience age discrimination across their careers: negative stereotypes, discriminatory recruitment processes, being passed over for training opportunities, not being recognized. Some studies suggest a staggering 77 to 93% of older adults report experiences with ageism, and 42% of hiring managers admit they consider age when reviewing résumés. And most insidious of all: it compounds mentally and emotionally for those experiencing it, to the point where they really do feel like they might be incapable of doing great things at work. Its illegal, its wrong, and its bad for business, says author, speaker and activist Ashton Applewhite. Older people make up the fastest-growing segment of the workforce, both because they need to work and because they want to. Everyone, everywhere, is living longer, and everyone is old or future old. Microaggressions, major consequences The rules are there, tucked neatly into HR handbooks and federal law. The trouble is, they rarely make it off the page, and holding people answerable is complicated. Weve made progress in policy awareness, but not in accountability, says Sheila Callaham, cofounder and board chair of Age Equity Alliance. Many policies that would strengthen age protections at work have languished in Congress for years, leaving outdated frameworks in place. Even when cases do make it to the courtroom, such as 63-year-old James Barrios recent lawsuit against Atmos Energy Corporation and its affiliate, Atmos Energy Services, LLC, there are myriad reasons his case, and many others like it, will probably fail. Most large employers require workers to agree to binding arbitration, which moves age discrimination claims out of court and into private proceedings, limiting transparency and reducing external enforcement of anti-age-bias rules, Callaham explains. Another reason may simply be because of how deeply we internalize socially constructed beliefs. A 2024 study found employees mimic the age discrimination they once experienced themselves, practicing negative observed and learned traits in a self-perpetuating cycle. Age discrimination varies from other types of discriminationspecifically race or ethnicity discrimination, and perhaps sex discriminationin that most age discrimination is not based on animus, but rather, it is based on stereotypes about declining competence as one ages, explains Porter. Age discrimination also persists because of the subtle, covert ways it slips into daily life. Ariane Froidevaux, associate professor of management at the University of Texas, Arlington, cautions research of overt age discrimination can overlook subtle “microinsults.” Seemingly innocuous comments like the once-ubiquitous Okay, Boomer! or Youre pretty tech-savvy for someone your age, she explains, can be insulting. Froidevauxs recent research about the changes in perceived age discrimination over time followed Swiss employees with the mean age of 42.64 over a six-year period. She examined how workers sensitivity to age discriminaton is shaped by their cognitive frameworks: Those who see the world as fundamentally fair”belief in a just world”appeared to be less sensitive, and less likely to perceive increasing age discrimination at work, she explains. Surprisingly, some older workers may also perceive decreased age discrimination over timenot necessarily because of a tangible reduction in patterns of behavior, but because, darkly enough, repeated exposure gradually numbs their response and desensitizes them. For instance, an older worker repeatedly passed over for high-profile projects may start to notice it less over time, as bias fades into background noise. Yet, even when repeated exposure lessens its sting, other research finds that age discrimination still quietly chips away at workers confidence and perceived work abilitymaking it one of the more insidious forms of bias. Hummond says it poisons even things like sick leave. My advice is try not to take too much time off for anything, she says. If you’re ill, you’re ill, but I feel judged in a way that youngsters aren’t.” Nothing personaland everyones next We know discrimination against older workers has impacts on their well-being, mental health, and motivation. But it reshapes workplace dynamics for others, too. When exclusion of a certain group is embedded into the work culture, the safety of belonging is threatened, explains Callaham, who calls this the “shadow threat” of ageism. She coined the term after a 31-year-old tech worker told her that his 38-year-old manager was stockpiling savings in case he was fired for “being too old,” stoking the younger employees own fears of being next. Collectively, this spawns a frenzied attitudeyoure never too young to start running out of time. What we can do Research suggests age diversity statements have a positive impact, while Applewhite makes a case for blind interviews. Many orchestras use blind auditions, where musicians perform behind a screen, in order to diversify their ranks. How about replicating this in business practice? Conducting virtual interviews with the camera off? Callaham adds debunking age stereotypes starts with awareness, which can in turn increase accountability. When organizations talk openly about how age bias shows up, theyre better able to build systems, habits, and expectations that make inclusion real, she says. Managers and HR professionals can do a lot to prevent age discrimination at work by modeling and adopting an age-inclusive culture, says Froidevaux. In Hummonds case, she was (and still is) the person the office turns to for her technical prowess and knowledge of the company, but things have turned pretty sour. Over the past year, her responsibilities have been reduced and flexible work arrangements withdrawn. I dont feel trusted, she says, Ill knock on a door and hear the conversation stop. For her colleagues, too, the atmosphere in the office is different, more guarded: You go in on a Monday and nobodys talking. With its innate universality, few realize how toxic age discrimination can make workplaces, with everyone wondering Whos next? Hummond keeps working, still indispensable, still sidelined. Im working down to retirement, but its not fun anymore, she says.
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E-Commerce
If its one thing that can consistently break the internet, its pets. Take Pancho the diva: The 1-year-old English cream mini dachshund started his career early in the fame-hungry world of LA, and is now a celebrity with 148,000 followers on Instagram. We created this personality of this dog that is a diva and a brat who loves the lavish, luxury lifestylebut his poor little parents cant afford it, says his owner, Felix Levine, entrepreneur and host of the popular podcast Unlike Me. He and Serena Kerrigan, founder of the dating game Lets F**ing Date, are seasoned content creators, so when friends joked about giving their new dog an online persona, the idea stuck. We thought maybe a Dear Diary, I hate my parents vibe, Felix recalls. The content quickly evolved into vlogs with AI-powered voice-overs, where Pancho shared his spoiled rants at his parents. And the idea gained momentum: from Central Park to a European summer, Panchos following snowballedgaining 30,000 followers in just two weeks. Brands took notice. Panchos first deal was with Five Below, followed by partnerships with Pet Life Unlimited, Target, Amazon, and even Kiehls. (Yes, the skincare giant now has a dog line). From toys to gourmet snacks and premium grooming, each partnership was endorsed with his signature diva flair. Serena Kerrigan and Pancho [Photo: Courtesy of Felix Levine] The pups collabs don’t scream ‘ads’, and thats precisely why it works. In the last month alone, his posts reached 24 million viewers and drew over 9 million engagements, a rate many of his fellow human influencers would feel a twinge of envy for. With affiliate links, brand partnerships, and his own storefront, Pancho has a mini-media empireand hes only turning one. Levine and Kerrigan declined to disclose exactly how much revenue Pancho has generated, but confirm its in the six figures. The “petfluencer” trend isn’t new. But it’s just as profitable as ever. Charming, and delivers results A study published earlier this year in The Journal of Advertising Research found that pet influencers outperform human influencers, particularly since theyre seen as more sincere and trustworthy than their human counterparts, who are often met with skepticism due to perceived commercial motives. Social media endorsements from petfluencers have been shown to generate stronger consumer responses, including higher engagement and greater willingness to pay. Pancho [Photo: Courtesy of Felix Levine] Lead researcher Dr. Laura Lavertu, a lecturer in marketing at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, echoes this idea: Petfluencers offer distinct advantages compared to human social media influencers. While human influencers often persuade through relatability or aspiration, petfluencers are seen as more genuine. They have no hidden agenda, no baggage, no scandals. The study also noted that as the number of sponsored posts by human influencers rises, their perceived sincerity declinesa phenomenon researchers call influencer fatigue, which in turn makes pets a more credible alternative. (The more fur or legs you have, the more credible you are, apparently.) Some have even become household names: As reported by Forbes, TikTok user @princesshoneybellex, a big-shot Australian cat influencer, earned $74,148 in 2023 alone, surpassing the U.S. average salary. Could your pet create a cash flow? Our four-legged friends offer brands countless opportunities in the pet care market, which is anticipated to reach over $427.75 billion by 2032. And its not just pet-focused companies cashing inlarger brands like Dyson are tapping into the rise of petfluencers, partnering with celebrity pups to extend their reach in a way that resonates directly with pet owners. In today’s oversaturated media landscape, where ads are swarming from every corner, partnering with a celeb pet might be your smartest marketing move. As noted by The Journal of Advertising Research, people follow and engage with petfluencers for the joy and entertainment that they bring, and are, overall, universally loved given their ability to communicate with diverse audiences and transcend cultural differences. When Pancho first came home weighing just a pound and a half, his owners thought they were getting a dog. As it turns out, hes now running his own business, landing brand dealseen managing his own intern to keep up with his demanding schedule.
Category:
E-Commerce
Leaders learn to say things with confidence. You may assume that people will be more prone to listen to you when you speak forcefully and with a sense of belief. Despite your best efforts, though, youre going to say something incorrect every now and again. You might get out ahead of a story only to find out that things were not as they seemed initially. You might just have your facts wrong. Regardless of why you erred, you still have to be willing to admit that you were wrong. Happily, there is an easy way to do this, though you may find it hard to do at first. You have to admit you were wrong. Yup. Thats right. You just have to come out and say it. There is a simple formula for admitting you were wrong. Do it right away Let everyone know as soon as possible after you find out that you said something that was not correct. Dont sit on the error for days. It is best if everyone hears it from you rather than having someone else discover the mistake first and make your admission feel like a reaction. Of course, if someone else does point out that what you said was incorrect, you should verify that they are correct and then immediately thank them for providing the feedback. You might even credit them in your statement After all, you want the people who work for you and with you to own their mistakes. The best way to demonstrate that you value corrections is to issue your own quickly. In addition, by thanking people who pointed out errors, you encourage others to step forward with errors they notice as well. That helps to keep the organization functioning with good knowledge. Use simple declarative sentences There is some embarrassment that can come along with making mistakesparticularly when youre new to leadership. You may think that leaders need to be infallible. As a result, you may not want to put a dent in your reputation by saying that you were wrong. To cover for this embarrassment, you may use tortured sentences to avoid owning the error. You may resort to the passive voice (Mistakes were made . . .) or use lots of qualifiers (When speaking about the upcoming sales meeting, I inadvertently left out . . .) or cast blame elsewhere (Sadly, when I spoke, I was relying on . . .) It turns out that great leaders dont need an air of infallibility, they need to project transparency. You create trust by being honest, not by being right all the time. Simply saying something like, Recently, I told you X. Actually, Y is true, is incredibly effective. And, again, speaking in this way encourages other members of your team to come forward and admit when they have said something wrong. Do a postmortem Of course, just because you admit when youre wrong doesnt mean that it is good to be wrong. Youd like to minimize the number of times that you have to walk back something you said. It is important to figure out why you ended up making a statement that was not true. Perhaps you spoke too quickly without verifying information. Perhaps you relied on sources that did not have the full story. Perhaps you made intuitive leaps that led you astray. If you have trouble figuring out how you might have gone wrong, consider talking to a colleague or mentor about the situation and walking through it with them. You might find that just talking it through helps you to figure out where you went wrong. And their expertise may bring to light problems with your process that led to you saying something wrong. When mentoring some of your direct reports, you might even want to refer to the errors in your own judgment that you discover. That way, you can help the people working for you to make a different set of mistakes rather than having to repeat yours to learn for themselves.
Category:
E-Commerce
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