If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -This paper aims to investigate the relationship between age and adaptation to changes in the workplace (perceived demand-ability fit, task performance before and after change). It also seeks to explore two mediators of the potential age-adaptation relationships: adaptive self-efficacy and job experience. Design/methodology/approach -A sample of 117 employees from three multinational organizations completed two questionnaires one month before and three months after changes in their workplaces. Findings -Hierarchical linear modelling revealed that age was not related to fit and performance before but was negatively related to fit and performance after organizational change. These relationships were mediated by job experience. Job experience made it more difficult for employeeswhether young or old -to adapt to workplace changes. Adaptive self-efficacy did not mediate the negative age-adaptation association. Research limitations/implications -In the sample, only a few employees were older than 56 years which might limit the generalizability of the results. Future research should also attempt to include objective performance data. Practical implications -Managerial interventions regarding learning, development, and job rotation might counteract negative effects of job tenure. Originality/value -There is little empirical research addressing issues related to age and adaptation in the workplace. The longitudinal field study presented in the paper contributes to the literature on individual adaptation to changes in the workplace by empirically examining the relationship between age and indicators of adaptation, and its mediating factors.