A former IBM employee is suing the company for age discrimination after she was fired – just weeks before she was due to receive £449,805 ($573,000) in commission.
The Daily Mail reports that Terry Keebaugh, from Georgia, USA, was fired in September 2016 from her role as a Sales Director at the age of 57 – to be replaced by a younger colleague who did not generate as much revenue.
In a call with her boss following the firing, Keebaugh was told her skills were the ‘lowest of the low’ out of her colleagues.
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This was despite her reporting that she had received a ‘1’ rating at her performance review at the end of 2015, the highest possible score, and that she had contracts in December 2016 that were expected to close worth a combined $100million. She ultimately received £15,694 ($20,000) of the commission she believes she is owed.
“IBM’s age discrimination is longstanding and pervasive,” the complaint stated.
“Since 2012, IBM has implemented age-based reorganizations twice a year, sending loyal IBMers over age 50 to the chopping block while sparing younger employees.”
A report from the Women and Equalities Committee in 2018 found that age discrimination is rife in UK workplaces, with over a million people aged over 50 being shunned out of the workforce as a result.
Maria Miller, MP and Chair of the Women and Equalities said: “As a country we face serious challenges recruiting and retaining an experienced and skilled workforce. Until we tackle discrimination against the growing number of over 50s, they will continue to be consigned to the ‘too old’ pile instead of being part of the solution.”
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A separate report from Centre for Ageing Better found that almost two in five unemployed candidates over 50 have been out of a job in over a year – twice the number than that of jobseekers aged 18-24.
The organisation supports the committee’s suggestions, agreeing that UK employers need more age-friendly employment policies and practices.
