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A total of 220 managers from a banking organisation were surveyed. No differences for age, educational background, employment history or managerial level were found, but females were significantly more likely than males to be the first person of their sex to hold their particular managerial position. Women are significantly less likely to be married or to have children. They have significantly fewer children, and their children tend to be significantly younger than those of their male colleagues. Women still have to make choices that men do not in order to further their careers. Average scores for occupational pressures were not high for either sex. Men report higher levels of pressure stemming from the work environment and managerial relationships with subordinates and superiors. Women report significantly higher pressures stemming from perceived gender inequities and work‐life balance concerns. Discussion focuses on why women bank managers do not perceive the workplace as free of gender‐related and work‐life balance pressures.

This study set out to explore employees' experience and understandings of gender and age in higher education to identify if women in higher education experienced the double jeopardy of gendered ageism. Further the role of physical attractiveness and appearance in higher education is explored.

Rich data were afforded by the qualitative method of in‐depth interviewing of 48 employees in a matched by gender, age grouping and academic status design. The recorded transcripts were subject to content and interpretative phenomenological analyses.

This study supports previous findings in different workplace settings that women, both academics and non‐academics, experience the double jeopardy of being discriminated against on the grounds of their age and gender in a way that men do not experience. Emergent themes are women: question they experience age discrimination as any perceived discrimination may be gender related and not only age‐related (uncertainty); are socialised to tolerate acceptable levels (tolerance); grow to love the perpetrators (identify with the status quo). Physical attractiveness and appearance are seen as relevant to the workplace in higher education. Non‐academics see academics as being career driven by their lack of attractiveness and or poor appearance. Male academics perceive women academics as unattractive and dressing down in appearance. Young female academics play down their “looks”, i.e. attractiveness and appearance so the effect is minimal (minimisation) as they perceive these be a disadvantage in their careers. Male academics do not report such considerations. “Lookism” thus presents a further prejudice that female academics experience beyond gendered ageism.

One experienced interviewer was used to enhance consistency of interviewing but there may be concerns about possible interviewer effects and the generalisability of the findings within higher education.

Having identified and elucidated “lookism” as a concern for female academics, its extent and sequalae in higher education may be addressed.

This is the first study to show female academics experience the triple jeopardy of gendered ageism and how they look i.e.“lookism”.