Too old to work? About promotion block for people 45+

Recent studies have shown that regardless of the competencies possessed by an employee at a certain age - and this is primarily about people aged 45-59 years - the chance of promotion decreases. The phenomenon we refer to as ageism is prejudices against others based on their age, can degenerate into discrimination (especially in the workplace) and influence the development of stereotypical beliefs about older age groups. In the latest report

“GeeX”, which premiered on September 28, gathered nearly 13,000 responses. Research agency Empulse, in collaboration with the SGH, asked the representatives of Generation X about their professional situation in order to provide answers to the issue related to needs in the workplace and assess their potential in the labor market.

Generation X discriminated against in the workplace 

The survey asked employees about employees' experiences over the past three years, such as looking for a job or recruiting for a position. Ageism can manifest itself regardless of the point in the professional career - it can happen to an employee both when changing jobs or industries, as well as within the organization's system - for example, with raises. The data collected by the researchers look like this:

• 30% experienced skipping on promotions despite their qualifications,
• 7% had difficulty finding a new job,
• 6% faced age discrimination during recruitment,
• 3% indicated dismissal for organizational reasons,
• 64% did not indicate any of the situations mentioned.

* Respondents could indicate a maximum of two answers, therefore the sum of the percentages exceeds 100%.

Particularly noteworthy is the lack of promotions for Generation X - 30% of those who were omitted from the promotion had the appropriate qualifications and experience, but still did not get a raise. This problem is most acute in the public sector - 30%. In private it was 20%.

Ageism is the loss of workers and their competences, especially in the current demographic situation

In the current demographic situation in Poland, erroneous and stereotypical beliefs of management about 45+ employees can harm not only employees themselves, but also organizations. The Polish labour market is increasingly facing the ageing of labour resources and the dwindling number of younger workers.

Our demographics are changing very quickly. In 2025, people of non-mobile working age, that is, between 45 and 59/64 years old, accounted for 23.8% of the population of Poland, while those aged 18—44 — 34,4%. For comparison, in 2000 it was 21.0% and 39.8%, respectively. At the same time, the share of people aged 65 and over increased from 12.4% in 2000 to 21.1% in 2025. Moreover, in 2025 Poland was born More than 238,000 children — 13.5 thousand less than a year earlier. This means that the pool of young people who will feed the labour market in the coming years will be increasingly smaller. Meanwhile, 45+ workers make up an increasingly important part of the available labor resources.

In this situation, treating experienced workers as a group “less flexible”, “less technological” or simply “closer to retirement” is no longer exclusively a problem of stereotypes. It can become a real business problem — leading to the underutilization of competencies, the loss of experienced employees and the deepening of staff shortages.

As Tomasz Szklarski, labor market expert and co-creator of the GeeX project on behalf of Enpulse, points out:

The results of our study are thought-provoking. We are talking about people between the ages of 45 and 59, who make up more than a third of the entire labor market in Poland. Logic would suggest that companies should care about such people and appreciate them. Meanwhile, many mature workers who drive consumption, pay taxes and are responsible for the continuity of many processes in companies face discrimination. A patch of “older” is pinned to them, and by implication: inferior. This means that some employers voluntarily marginalize the people who are the backbone of the economy.

The researchers point out that ageism can also affect people with higher education, working in the public sector and those with high digital competence. This shows that even high qualifications and many years of experience do not always protect against age discrimination. The age barrier can mean that employees lose their chances of getting a raise, promotion or finding a new job.

The consequences of ageism, which can be long-term and severe, are also worrying. Feelings of underestimation can directly affect employee engagement. Skipping them for promotions, not responding to their contributions, or believing that their experience is no longer needed can lead to withdrawal and loss of faith in one's own abilities. As a consequence, not only the quality of the work performed can suffer, but also the further professional development of the employee. An organization that does not see the contribution of its employees sends them a strong demotivating signal. In the long term, it can even lead to burnout and the decision to end work earlier.

In addition, experts note the impact Statutory retirement age on how to treat people who have crossed it. The mere fact of reaching retirement age can influence the perception of an employee as a person who is already “at the end” of his career, regardless of his real competence, experience or willingness to continue working.

- For ageism, this has a direct consequence. The statutory retirement age marks the moment from which an employee begins to be treated - and himself begins to treat himself - like a person on the way out: someone to whom it is no longer worth offering a promotion or training because “he is leaving soon anyway”. In Poland, this moment falls five years earlier for women than for men. A woman and a man of the same age have completely different professional horizons, and personnel decisions are made against this horizon, not against metrics, she emphasizes Prof. Agnieszka Chłoń-Domińczak.

What do 45+ employees expect?

Generation X and older workers have specific expectations of employers: fairness and predictability of working conditions are important to them. Adequate salaries, a clear way of managing in the organization as well as stability are important for them.

• 67% chooses an employer primarily for salary and stability,
• 35% treats salary as the most important criterion for choosing an employer,
• 32% values job stability,
• 12 % Pay attention to work-life balance.

summary

Ageism in the labour market is not only a social problem — it is also a real risk for companies, especially in the face of an ageing population and a dwindling number of young workers. Leaving people 45+ out of promotions, promotions or recruitments means not only limiting their professional development, but also losing valuable competencies and experience by organizations.

Sources:

1. https://www.sgh.waw.pl/kzif/geex-preferencje-zawodowe-i-zaangazowanie-pokolenia-x-na-rynku-pracy
2. https://www.sgh.waw.pl/kzif/geex-preferencje-zawodowe-i-zaangazowanie-pokolenia-x-na-rynku-pracy
3. https://www.pulshr.pl/zarzadzanie/maja-doswiadczenie-chca-pracowac-mimo-to-coraz-czesciej-slysza-nie,122105.html
4. https://politykazdrowotna.com/artykul/ageizm-na-rynku-pracy-n2510959