Overall 31 per cent of employees in India have experienced age-related discriminations across sectors with the highest prevalence reported in multinational companies, a study said on Monday.

The 'Ageism in the Workplace' study by talent company Randstad India revealed that 31 per cent of employees in India have experienced discriminations due to their age and such discriminations are mostly prevalent during recruitment process, especially in job advertisements of organisations.

About 61 per cent respondents said job advertisements in India have age biases (qualifying age criteria or years of experience), it added.

In India around 42 per cent of employees interviewed, aged below 55 years, have experienced or witnessed ageism or age related discriminations at their workplaces, compared to 29 per cent aged above 55 years, said the study.

The data suggested that younger age groups faced more age discriminations than older age groups as there was a general lack of trust in the youngest age group's abilities and skills while the oldest age group experienced the privilege of age-based and seniority-based respect.

Surprisingly, 42 per cent of women reported experiencing or witnessing ageism, compared to 37 per cent of men, clearly a reflection of how ageism at work intersects with other dimensions of diversity, it added.

"Ageism is one of the most overlooked unconscious biases made at the workplace across levels. Overcoming ageism requires a conscious effort to recognise and challenge stereotypes to create an environment where experience and fresh perspectives are equally valued. By fostering an inclusive culture that embraces employees of all ages, organisations can harness the full potential of their workforce, driving collaboration, innovation, and growth," Randstad India managing director and CEO Viswanath PS said.

The 'Ageism in the Workplace' study is based on qualitative survey including Focus Group Discussions (FGD) and individual interviews among Human Resource heads and C-suite executives across age groups, sectors and regions in India. It also included quantitative survey among 956 respondents across job levels, industries and locations.

The study further revealed that the sectors with the highest proportions of respondents who had experienced ageism were pharma, healthcare and life science (43 per cent), business process outsourcing or IT-enabled services (43 per cent), and construction, infrastructure, and real estate (41 per cent).

Most employees from multinational corporations (MNCs) headquartered in India reported higher instances of ageism, with 41 per cent affirming they faced age-related biases, the study said.

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