Edition #13

Remote work was supposed to level the playing field.

No more hallway conversations you weren't part of. No more golf outings with the VP while you were stuck at your desk. No more being judged for how you looked walking into the building at 9:01 AM.

Just you, your laptop, and your results.

Except that's not how it played out, is it?

If you're over 40 and working remotely, you've probably noticed something: the discrimination didn't disappear when the office did, it just got quieter, harder to call out, and easier for them to deny.

You're still getting passed over, left out, and fighting to prove you belong in a world that assumes you can't keep up.

Remote ageism is insidious as hell.

In a physical office, you can see who's getting pulled into the corner office. You know who's invited to lunch with leadership. You notice when someone's suddenly on every high-visibility project.

But in a remote environment everything happens in channels you're mysteriously not added to. Meeting invites that somehow skip your inbox. Slack threads where your name never gets tagged.

And when you bring it up? "Oh, must've been a technical glitch." "We thought you were busy." "You didn't seem interested in that kind of project."

Bullshit.

What's actually happening is that employers see your age and make assumptions. They assume you can't handle the tech. That you're slower to respond. That you're not as "bought in" as the 24-year-old who seems to be available 24/7.

They're wrong, obviously. But without your physical presence to counter those assumptions, the bias builds quietly in the background. By the time you realize what's happening, you've already lost ground you didn't know you were standing on.

Here's what digital ageism actually looks like:

Your camera quality gets questioned in meetings (theirs never does). Your comments in the group chat get ignored while others get immediate responses for saying basically the same thing. Your performance reviews suddenly mention "digital engagement" and "responsiveness" even though you've never missed a deadline.

It's death by a thousand tiny cuts. Each one deniable. But all of them adding up to something much bigger.

And yeah, it's probably illegal. Many countries include Age Discrimination in their Employment Acts to protect workers from exactly this kind of treatment. Laws make it crystal clear that age discrimination is unlawful regardless of where or how the work happens.

Remote doesn't mean unprotected. And employers who think they can hide behind Zoom backgrounds and "oops, didn't see your message" excuses are about to learn that the hard way.

Let's get specific about what getting frozen out actually looks like in remote work.

You used to be in the loop. You knew what was happening with the big accounts, the strategic initiatives, and the leadership conversations. Now? You find out about decisions after they've already been made.

The warning signs:

But when you ask about it, you get gaslit. "We're just trying new team structures." "We thought you'd prefer to focus on your core responsibilities." "This isn't about age, it's about fit."

No. It's about age.

When you're the only person over 45 being "restructured" out of visibility, that's not coincidence. When younger employees get praised for the exact behaviors you're being criticized for, that's not about performance.

It's discrimination wearing a disguise.

And the worst part is that in a traditional office, this pattern would be obvious. People would notice. There'd be witnesses. But in remote work, it all happens in private channels and one-on-one conversations you're not part of.

That doesn't make it any less real. Or any less illegal.

Employment Acts don't care if you're at a desk in corporate headquarters or at your kitchen table in your pajamas. If you're employed by a company with ±20 or more employees, you're usually covered.

What this means practically:

Your country/state may also have additional protections that are even stronger than local law. Many places have their own anti-discrimination statutes that cover smaller employers or provide broader protections.

The point is this: you didn't lose your rights when you left the office. And your employer doesn't get to pretend the law doesn't exist because everyone's on mute.

If you're being discriminated against because of your age, it doesn't matter whether it happens in a conference room or a Zoom room. It's illegal either way.

If you suspect age discrimination is happening, you need to start documenting. Now. Not next month when things get worse. Today.

Remote work actually makes this easier in some ways. Digital communication leaves a trail. Every email, every Slack message, every meeting transcript, every calendar exclusion - it's all evidence.

Here's what to save:

You don't need one smoking gun email where your boss says "we're not promoting you because you're old." (Though if you have that, jackpot.)

What matters is the pattern. When you can show that younger colleagues consistently get opportunities, recognition, and inclusion while you consistently don't, the pattern tells the story.

Document the details:

Keep everything organized. Use a personal email address or secure cloud storage (not your work account - they can access that). Treat it like you're building a case, because you might be.

You’re not paranoid, and you should protect yourself.

Now here's where it gets tricky.

You know something's wrong. You've got the evidence. But you're scared to say anything because you've seen what happens to people who complain. They get labeled "difficult." Their roles mysteriously get eliminated in the next restructure. They're suddenly "not a culture fit."

Retaliation is real.

Retaliation is also very much illegal.

Laws almost always explicitly prohibit employers from retaliating against employees who report or oppose discriminatory practices.

That means they legally cannot:

And if they do any of that after you've raised concerns? Congratulations, they just handed you a second legal claim on a silver platter.

How to raise concerns strategically:

Put it in writing. Always. This creates a record they can't deny later.

Keep it professional and focused on impact, not emotions. Try something like:

"I've noticed I've been left off several project meetings and strategy discussions over the past two months, despite my previous involvement in these areas. Can we discuss whether there's been a change in my role or responsibilities? I want to make sure I'm staying aligned with team priorities."

This approach:

If they respond with vague reassurances but nothing changes, document that too. Send a follow-up: "Thanks for the conversation. Just to confirm, we discussed [specific points]. I'm looking forward to being included in [specific meetings/projects] going forward."

This does two things: it memorializes what was said, and it makes it crystal clear you're paying attention.

If retaliation happens after you speak up? That's when you call an attorney. Because now they've not only discriminated, they've retaliated, and both are legally actionable.

Standing up for yourself doesn't have to mean burning bridges. It means setting boundaries and creating a record. Do it clearly, professionally, and in writing.

And if they respond by trying to push you out? Well, that's what employment lawyers are for.

I won’t pretend this is easy. It isn’t.

Fighting age discrimination while you're still employed is exhausting. You're already dealing with the emotional toll of being excluded and undervalued. Now you're supposed to document everything, watch your back, and potentially go to war with your employer?

Yeah. It sucks.

But here's what I need you to understand: this isn't about being difficult. This is about claiming what's legally yours.

You're not asking for special treatment. You're demanding equal treatment. There's a difference.

You've earned your seat at the table. Your experience, expertise, and results matter. And when an employer tries to push you out because they've decided you don't "fit" their digital-first, youth-obsessed culture, they're not just being unfair.

They're breaking the law.

Remote work was supposed to be the future where talent mattered more than optics. Where results spoke louder than facetime. Where you could finally be judged on what you produce, not how you look or how old you are.

We're not there yet. But we can be.

It starts with refusing to accept discrimination just because it happens on Zoom instead of in a conference room.

You don't have to stay silent. You don't have to shrink yourself to fit someone else's narrow idea of what a remote worker should look like. And you sure as hell don't have to let them push you out without a fight.

The law is on your side. Use it.

🎯 Fully Remote Jobs (No "Fake Remote" Here):

You’ve got two choices.

Choice One:

Stay where you are. Keep documenting. Keep navigating internal politics. Keep trying to demonstrate value inside systems that weren’t designed with senior professionals in mind.

You might make incremental progress over time.

Or you might spend years pushing for marginal gains in environments that quietly limit growth and leverage.

Choice Two:

Start learning how experienced professionals actually navigate modern remote hiring - where judgment, pattern recognition, and hard-earned perspective are assets, not liabilities. Because you deserve a work environment where you are respected, not looked down on.

But many remote-first companies evaluate senior talent through signals that don’t resemble traditional job boards or résumé funnels. These roles often emphasize clarity of positioning, professional credibility, and strategic communication over volume-based applications.

On January 22nd, 2026, we’re hosting a Masterclass to teach a 3-Step Strategy designed to help experienced professionals understand these hiring dynamics - and how to position themselves more deliberately within them.

It provides a clearer framework for navigating a market that rewards strategy, judgment, and signal clarity over noise.

You didn’t build your career over decades just to let outdated hiring assumptions define your value.

Stay Rebellious,

Michelle & the RR Team