How to deal with being the youngest in the office
At 22, Sam Carling has pushed back against criticism that he isn’t experienced enough to be an MP.
Among the new class of MPs sworn into the UK parliament this month, there were the first MPs from generation Z. The youngest of these, Sam Carling – who now has the unofficial title “baby of the house” – is aged 22. In an interview, Carling alluded to an experience that many professionals in their 20s and 30s will be familiar with: accusations from older colleagues that they lack the necessary experience for the role.
In 2018, Mhairi Black, elected as an MP at the age of 20, read out to parliament some of the insults she had received during her time in office, including rape threats. Being asked about her age was a source of constant frustration and distraction from her work. She stepped down from office in 2024.
Most young professionals won’t be going into this kind of high-responsibility role, and won’t receive this level of abuse. But many will experience more subtle discrimination or stereotyping.
Research suggests age discrimination is u-shaped, with older and younger workers suffering the most. Yet campaigning focus has tended to be around older workers, with less understanding of the issues faced by young people – and less protection afforded to them.
Unison, the public services trade union, has highlighted the impacts of age discrimination on young people, from being belittled in workplaces to being bypassed for promotion and paid poor wages.
No one’s 20s and 30s look the same. You might be saving for a mortgage or just struggling to pay rent. You could be swiping dating apps, or trying to understand childcare. No matter your current challenges, our Quarter Life series has articles to share in the group chat, or just to remind you that you’re not alone.
Read more from Quarter Life:
How to thrive at work if your older boss expects hustle culture
Ready for the next step in your career? Here’s how to get ready for your first leadership position
As recent research shows, “youngism” can come from a combination of stereotyping of life stage and generation. For many, the gen Z label has become an easy catchall for accusations of generational laziness and entitlement, repeated without justification in a way that wouldn’t be tolerated around any other protected characteristic.
Millennials will be familiar with this phenomenon too, having been blamed for killing off countless industries – from cereals to starter homes – and spending too much on lattes and avocado toast.
Advice for ‘babies’ of the office
If you are one of the younger workers in your office, particularly in a field dominated by older employees, you might feel your talent or experience is undermined.
But remember that you bring unique assets to the workforce. You have grown up asking important questions about inclusion – for example, around mental health and race – as a minimum expectation at work. And you are a digital native, comfortable moving between and experimenting with multiple platforms, as well as synthesising complex information from different sources.
If you’re on the younger side of gen Z, you may also have finished university or even school during the COVID lockdowns. Your comfort with working flexibly or remotely will be an asset to employers, and you probably see value in retaining some shared workspaces for innovation and connecting.
In the meantime, here are some tips for coping with age stereotypes you may face in the world of work:
1. Schedule regular meetings
Meeting with your manager and colleagues can provide valuable opportunities for learning, while making sure that your needs and value to the organisation are visible.
Recent research found that younger workers’ experiences of wholly remote working had been compromised by more deficient home working spaces and fewer opportunities to connect with colleagues. Meetings in person or on Zoom can be an opportunity to ensure your working needs are met, and give you a chance to bond socially with others in your team.
2. Share your expertise
Don’t be afraid to to introduce colleagues to digital resources and suggest new ways of working or collaborating. Where you encounter prejudice and lazy generalisations, raise these as issues with your manager and suggest alternative ways of thinking.
3. Grow your network
Make time for lunches and social activities, volunteer for working groups, or join a trade union. Your colleagues can be a huge source of support in your career, so be deliberate about searching out connections in hybrid workplaces. There are many benefits to forming intergenerational relationships too, so reach out to colleagues outside of your age cohort.
Read more: What trade unions do and what joining one means
4. Get the basics right
Understand how to raise points in meetings, how to manage conflict effectively, and how to write a professional email. There is a lot of good training out there, so make the most of it. It can help grow your confidence and give power to your voice.
5. Understand your rights
Acas provides free and impartial advice, training and support relating to the workplace. When you are a young new starter, you are unlikely to have positional power, so this kind of information can help redress the balance. Remember that most organisations don’t do things wrong on purpose and want their employees to be happy and well supported, so offer collaborative solutions to problems wherever possible.
As working lives extend, age diversity has become a great opportunity for organisations – however, not all employers will get this right. If your workplace doesn’t value your unique skills and perspective, it may be time to cut your losses and look for a new job. The best organisations will understand the benefits of intergenerational working, and will help support you to develop and thrive at work.
Jane Parry receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council and the British Academy. She is a member of the Labour Party.
Barbara Sherriff receives funding from the UKRI ESRC South Coast Doctoral Training Partnership, Grant No. ES/P000673/1