Age discrimination: 70pc of survey respondents back legislation; one in three have experienced prejudice

More than one in three employed people in Hong Kong have experienced some form of age discrimination in the last five years, a survey by the equality watchdog has found, prompting a call for legislation to ensure better protection.

The Equal Opportunities Commission said the survey had shown clearly there was sufficient support for the government to draft age discrimination legislation, as 70 per cent of respondents were “supportive” or “very supportive”.

READ MORE: Hong Kong must end age discrimination in the workplace

“When it comes to legislation, the government always considers whether there is enough support from the public and lawmakers. Our survey has shown that 70 per cent of employed people in Hong Kong are supportive. That’s not a small number,” said Dr Ferrick Chu Chung-man, the watchdog’s director of policy, research and training.

The telephone survey of 401 employed people aged 15 or above was completed in November 2014 followed by additional in-depth interviews with bosses, employees and lawmakers last year.

Among those who said they had faced age discrimination, 18 per cent received a salary that was lower than what colleagues earned for the same work; 14 per cent were denied job promotions; 9 per cent were mocked or did not feel that their colleagues welcomed them; and 8 per cent received an unfair annual appraisal.

It appears that people from different age groups were targets of age discrimination.