![]() When you get a woman in her 40s or 50s who has progressed in her career and is probably more willing to speak her mind, I think it's intimidating to the insecure men in our workforce.Īmy Diehl, a gender-equity researcher and one of the coauthors of the new report, wasn't surprised by the prevalence of ageism against the oldest and youngest women she and her colleagues surveyed. Many also described hearing ageist remarks used to discredit other women who were up for professional opportunities. (Previous studies have also found that women of childbearing age are routinely passed over for jobs or promotions because they could become pregnant.) Women over 60, on the other hand, reported being ignored altogether, their skills overlooked and their experience discounted in favor of "fresh, new ideas." Many of the ageist dismissals echoed across age groups: Women who were up for jobs, promotions, or bonuses were told they either lacked experience or had too much of the wrong kind. For women under 40, ageism often showed up in the form of "role incredulity" - higher-ups (who were frequently, if not exclusively, men) registering surprise at their seniority, sometimes even calling them by condescending nicknames such as "kiddo" or dispensing pats on the head. Perhaps the most discouraging finding of the survey was that the ageist behavior wasn't just directed toward one age cohort. The research, recently published in Harvard Business Review, found that many of the women surveyed reported being at the receiving end of age-related judgment that implied they were unfit for the job. ![]() A new, qualitative survey of 913 women across four disparate industries - law, faith-based nonprofits, higher education, and healthcare - found a dismaying amount of age-based discrimination against women in top jobs. O'Neill's account seems shocking but may be an all-too-familiar story for many women in leadership roles. In her view, "they made it clear that I was not the future," she said. The station's leadership never said that O'Neill's age was a factor in its decision-making. As usual, we don't talk about personnel matters publicly.") (WCPO did not comment on Julie's dismissal, but leadership has said, "We do not agree with many statements that have been made. 'Nine days after your contract was up, you were put out of the 18-to-54 demographic'" - the target age bracket for network-TV ad buys. ![]() "He said to me, 'When do you turn 55, Julie?'" she said. At the time, she had a sneaking suspicion that her age and gender might have played a role in the abrupt turn of events, but it was an older, male mentor who made her see the connection as crystal clear. "Until all the criticism started, I had had stellar performance reviews and was never, ever accused of being disrespectful or making people uncomfortable," O'Neill said. O'Neill recalled the station's general manager citing her recent on-air mention of a colleague's recovery from COVID-19 - which the colleague had posted openly about on social media - as the "disrespectful" final straw. In the meeting, O'Neill was told she would no longer be cohosting the network's morning show and that her station contract would not be renewed after December 31. Tensions between O'Neill and her bosses continued to escalate, she said, finally reaching a head in September when she was called into a meeting with management. Her delivery seemed as strong as ever, she told me, and even her coanchor was perplexed by the feedback. The exercise left her only more confused. Puzzled, she began recording footage of her segments, hoping to identify and correct any stumbles. Soon after, she said, she began receiving complaints from the station's news director about a decline in her performance. Julie O'Neill spent nearly three decades as a top anchor for Cincinnati's WCPO news station, but early last year, her career took a gut-wrenching turn.ĭespite her longtime coverage of the Cincinnati Bengals, O'Neill was passed over in favor of a younger, male colleague to report on the team's 2022 Super Bowl appearance. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders.
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