BEWARE of the Age Card
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Writing this is difficult because I’m “of a certain age” and I’ve heard far too many friends, colleagues and acquaintances complain about how they have experienced age discrimination at both ends of the employment spectrum: in the hiring stage as well as at the layoff stage.
Believe it or not, the Age Discrimination Act was passed in 1967, almost 50 years ago. This Act was amended in 1996 but the changes don’t seem to have affected the ways in which many employers and recruiters treat current and prospective employees. Even though employers have always had the final say in employment decisions, the tactics used to screen out older workers now start long before the interview process. One of these tactics begins with online employment applications that require applicants to provide the date of their graduation from high school or college. This is a required field that must be answered before the rest of an application can be completed. Nice move, huh?
It’s bad enough that legally, age discrimination applies to anyone over the age of 40, which isn’t really “old” by most measures these days. What is worse, in my opinion, are the stereotypes applied to BOTH younger and older workers. For example, I’ve heard younger employees (in their mid-to-late ‘20s) complain about senior managers in their organizations who disregard their suggestions and resist change. On the opposite side of the age spectrum, older/experienced workers complain about younger staff members who disrespect the value of their hard-earned wisdom and experience. Which group is right and, more importantly, why can’t they have honest dialogues about eliminating these stereotypes?
Here are some sobering facts. Right now, there are six generations who work. Life expectancy has increased and this has led to more people who need to work longer. The fallout of the Great Recession that started in 2008 produced two groups that were and continue to be severely disadvantaged: entry-level (early ‘20s) employees and older workers. Over the course of the last few years, older workers have either dropped out of the workforce or been forced to accept temporary employment that does not sustain them. Many younger workers now start their professional careers at lower starting salaries – lower than pre-recession years – and this explains why so many Millennials cannot afford to live on their own or, for that matter, save enough money to buy their own home. On both sides, this is a tragic picture. Check out what’s reported from the Urban Institute or the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and you’ll see why the age card has led to a stacked deck.
For many people, the prospect of either voluntary or involuntary retirement is not an option. Because many people are living longer lives, they may need to work longer merely to survive. In addition, others simply do not want to retire because they retain the knowledge, skills, experience and energy to continue to work and feel productive. Other cultures revere their elders so why have we chosen to go in the opposite direction? The economic, social and quality of life losses incurred by both young and older people are enormous.
What can be done? First, we must realize that our laws are severely outdated and ineffective. I write this because for years, the courts have been backed up with all types of discrimination cases. Aggrieved parties have been encouraged to organize a class or group of people who will take legal action. Realize that individual cases can go on for years and the costs of such cases are astronomical. Can one person fight an organization with a legal team that’s ready to fight indefinitely? I think not. Apart from the financial and time constraints, there’s the emotional toll of reliving the bad behavior. Therefore, we need to create laws that work for us.
For the people who are passionate about effectuating change, get involved by contacting your state’s senators and congressmen and women. Remember that this is an election year and many seats in Congress and the Senate will be up for grabs. Make these candidates listen!! Other forms of discriminatory practices dealing with gender and race have received national attention, and age discrimination should not be ignored because it affects everyone.
To employers I say: stop your subtle and not so subtle methods for vetting candidates because they may be unmasked as more applicants use word-of-mouth to vet YOU.
For more information, check the following articles:
Reaching the age when age is a liability
Next blogpost: “The Trouble with Training”