Workers feel age bias: poll

Half of Canadians would consider cosmetic surgery to advance career

In a youth obsessed culture, the majority of Canadians believe their employers prefer to hire younger workers, according to a new poll. And nearly half also believe that plastic surgery or cosmetic dental work would help them advance their careers.

Nearly 80 per cent of the 2,133 Canadians who participated in a recent online poll at online job board Monster.ca said ageism exists in their workplace to some degree.

Sixty-three per cent agreed that "age was obviously a factor" when candidates are considered for job openings. Another 17 per cent said they believe that their employer prefers workers "in a certain age bracket."

Only 19 per cent — or just one in five — said they believe that "people of all ages" are considered for job openings in their workplace.

"Today many Canadian employers are looking to help ease the labour shortage," said Gabriel Bouchard, vice-president and general manager of Monster Canada. "And while employers are looking for new ways to keep baby boomers in the workplace, it is interesting to note that many Canadians feel some kind of age bias at work, with a person's age being viewed as a factor in their employability."

In a separate Monster.ca poll of 4,397 Canadians on the topic of improving their appearance to get ahead, 47 per cent said that they definitely believe plastic surgery or cosmetic dental work would help advance their career. About 38 per cent disagreed, while 14 per cent said they were unsure.

"As our workforce continues to age, it will be interesting to see how attitudes change to perhaps favour older workers for their skills and experience," said Bouchard.

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