age discrimmination at interview?

GaleSF63

Londonsu wrote: »

I have worked for 45 years and (on advice from a head hunter) only have the last 20 years on my CV and do not put my DOB on have never had it queried and have never had any problem getting a job.


I don't even bother with my school qualifications now

Thanks.

We were always advised not to leave any gaps at all on a CV. And as recently as 12 years ago I had to produce certificates for school qualifications at interview.

Times have changed! (Or maybe to do with level of job - not very high up in my case.)

ironpetal

The interview info to come to the interview states please bring photographic ID with you etc anyway which will be checked AFTER your interview. In hindsight I could have handed over some photographic evidence of ID without my DOB on. Also they can guesstimate your age by your quals. There was no DOB on my application as its done through NHS Jobs and online. I might drop this guy a line and state my case as to how this appeared to me. Most of the other interviews say your docs will be checked after the interview. I can understand if I was a foreign doctor or nurse at interview but they can clearly see I'm NHS and a long term employee living in the UK and don't need to prove I have the right to work here. Also they had my permission to contact any number of referees pre interview. I went to another interview earlier this week and they didn't ask for my passport or even photographic ID.

Pasturesnew, I'm no spring chicken but I do not walk,look,act my age, people are surprised when I tell them. The people on that panel were the other side of 40. :-)

PasturesNew

Whether a passport being used at interview stage is part of age discrimination/not .... I'd simply say that they can pretty much tell how old you are when you walk in the room.

My CV's great.... without an age. But when I walk into a building of perky 20-somethings for an interview it's clear I'm older than their mum.

I'm clearly not a perky 20 year old, nor a forward-thinking 30-something, nor a vibrant and "still got it" 40-something.... no .... they don't want to "work with their mum".

ironpetal

Tellit that's the feeling I got from one of the managers on the panel! Let's face it this speaks volumes about them as people and who would want to work for them anyway?? On a positive note it's helped me to hone my interviewing skills and what to watch out for in the future.

On the other hand if people don't fight back then this will go on.

Many thanks for all your replies.

starrystarry

I think you're allowing yourself to be sidetracked here. As others have said, there's nothing really in your post to suggest age discrimination. Perhaps they shouldn't have asked for your passport at that stage but the fact they did doesn't automatically mean they turned you down because of your age.

I think you should focus on the feedback they gave you, rather than putting all your energy into fighting something tenuous.

agrinnall

I don't see any problem in asking for the passport first, if you don't have a right to work in the UK why should they bother wasting their time interviewing you?

Andy_L

Employers have a legal obligation to ensure their staff have the right to work in the UK, every method of checking that will reveal your DoB

Undervalued

Andy_L wrote: »

Employers have a legal obligation to ensure their staff have the right to work in the UK, every method of checking that will reveal your DoB

Exactly.

Plus a few Google searches will roughly answer the question in 80% or more cases!

The OP would need to prove that they had been discriminated against because of their age. The employer simply knowing the age doesn't prove that at all.

daytona0

Ageism is a tricky concept though! I would argue that OP's age has influenced the outcome of this, but was not the sole PRIMARY reason for rejection.

OP's lack of recent methodology/literature seems to have been the downfall. One must wonder whether, at 62, they come across as inflexible and unwilling to change. Add in other variables which weren't mentioned (because the OP has omitted other details about the interview, and the answer may lie there) and I think it just boils down to applicant error!

No evidence of ageism from what I can see, and even so it doesn't explain why OP has been given interviews! They are clearly experienced enough to be sitting in that seat, but maybe they are just a bit out of the present day loop...

[Deleted User]

LOL! I know 20 somethings who refuse to work weekends ever, (I know more fool the company allowing these young people to dictate the rules, could not believe what I was hearing) as the one landed to pick up the slack of working every single weekend, I know I would sure like to cite it as discrimination, especially when you discover how those not willing to work weekends or with every conceivable excuse as to can't, firmly believe they are next in line for a Supervisor's role... (I get this will probably happen as well!) still lets not dismiss the older person if you don't mind, not if the youth of today or quality of management is really anything to go by.