I’m 58 and looking for a new job. How do I avoid age discrimination?

Each week, Dr Kirstin Ferguson tackles questions on workplace, career and leadership in her advice column, Got a Minute? This week: age discrimination in job applications, a boss who turns a blind eye to bullying, and office sniffles.

My job was made redundant, so I’m on the hunt for a new role. The problem is, I’m 58, which doesn’t seem to be a strong selling point these days. How do I avoid age discrimination when most companies use software that doesn’t let me submit my application without providing all of my details, including date of birth?

Sadly, you’re not imagining the disadvantage. As you say, while age discrimination laws should protect older workers, online application processes are causing applicants to be screened through personal information questions that once, we would have never been asked.

A few practical strategies help. First, focus your applications on roles where experience is genuinely valued and clearly stated, not ones chasing “energy” or “future potential” as coded language. Second, keep your resume tight. You don’t need to list every role you’ve ever held; relevance beats chronology every time.

If an online system asks for a date of birth, provide it if required, but don’t let that be the end of the story. Where possible, follow-up applications with a direct email or LinkedIn message that highlights what you bring now, not how long you’ve been working.

It’s also worth remembering that there are recruiters, company leaders and hiring managers who actively value older candidates for experience, judgment and stability, especially in teams that have had a lot of turnover. Your task isn’t to pretend you’re younger; it’s to make it easy for employers to see the value of experience they won’t have to train from scratch.

All that said, if you think you have been discriminated against, be sure to contact the Australian Human Rights Commission or the Fair Work Ombudsman for advice. This is an issue that many others are also grappling with.

I love my job of five years, but I’m being bullied by a colleague who forms alliances with other staff and gossips with them. This turns others against me, and I have recently experienced two very aggressive confrontations from colleagues as a result. My manager says he has to remain impartial, and that without proof, it is only my perception. What are my options?

Your boss does not get to “remain impartial” if there is bullying happening in his team. His job is to stamp it out. In Australia, bullying isn’t just a management issue, it’s a work health and safety issue. Employers have a duty to prevent both physical and psychological harm. You don’t need absolute proof to raise a concern; patterns of behaviour are what matter.

Bullies are often very clever to avoid anything that gives you concrete proof of their bullying. When you start to doubt yourself or feel isolated, it is an indicator the bullying behaviour is working exactly as intended. However, no workplace or boss gets to opt out of responsibility just because the bullying is subtle rather than spectacularly obvious.

Before escalating externally, document everything. Dates, witnesses, what was said, and the impact on you and your health. Keep it factual and unemotional. Put your concerns in writing to your boss.

If that goes nowhere, a safety regulator like WorkSafe Victoria or SafeWork NSW can provide advice and, in some cases, intervene where there’s a risk to your physical or psychological health. Fair Work can also deal with bullying. Take care.

I sit between two people who sniff all day, and it’s doing my head in. Changing desks is not an option. What can I do? I respect and like both of them and don’t want to damage our relationship.

You have my full sympathy. This isn’t a minor irritation: repetitive noises can cause your nervous system to go into overdrive.

That said, you’re also right to want to protect the relationships, which means starting with solutions that don’t require anyone else to change. Try noise-cancelling headphones, background sound like the radio or white noise, or even discreet earplugs, which can significantly reduce the trigger without drawing attention. Many people with rely on these tools at work for a reason.

If that’s not enough, a quiet, private conversation may be necessary — but keep it framed around impact, not diagnosis. Something like, “I’m finding repetitive noises really difficult to concentrate around — could we think about a way to manage it?” is usually enough.

You’re not asking for perfection — just a workable environment. That’s a reasonable ask.

To submit a question about work, careers or leadership, visit kirstinferguson.com/ask. You will not be asked to provide your name or any identifying information. Letters may be edited.

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