The UK has one of the worst records for age discrimination, it has been claimed, with 64 per cent of older workers claiming they have been ignored due to their age.
A European Social Survey found that only Russia, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Romania and Slovakia have more people who believe they have been patronised in the workplace simply because of their age.
Nicola Robinson, from Age UK, who helped to analyse the data for 2009, explained that Brits have a different idea of when old age starts than their European counterparts.
"Britons thought old age started at 59, whereas in Greece they thought it started at around 68," she added.
Professor Dominic Abrams, from the school of psychology at Kent University, noted: "People in this country may feel there is a serious problem and be aware of discrimination because they are attuned to it."
"We know it is a serious problem across Europe and it may be that we are ahead of the curve on the issue, that there has been some successful awareness-raising," Professor Abrams concluded.
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I wonder who Age UK surveyed for this info? 59 seems a strange age to be considered as the onset of old age unless it is an average!
Hard to prove you have been ignored because of your age and I suspect younger workers may feel the same too?
I think the data came primarily from these guys Vince.
http://www.europeansocialsurvey.org/
It does seem quite subjective though, you're right. There does appear a perception however that certain countries have greater respect for the elderly than others. Whether this is based on fact or myth however is hard to say.