It’s been more than a week since my first blog, but not quite two weeks, and I’m back. I thought the response would be greater, since hiring discrimination against older workers is certainly a major issue in America. Both the GAO and the media confirm it and the government, in particular the Senate Special Committee on Aging, know it is a real problem. But, there’s been little action, after all, the people who can help us all have jobs. And, when it comes to the Senate, they are by and far, older workers. Remember, the average age of a Senator is 62.
Like most issues, it needs to hit home before most people pay attention, let alone take action. You may remember from my first blog, I mentioned that a friend and I wrote the Senate Special Committee on Aging about this very problem more than a month ago. NO RESPONSE. And, we sent letters, the old fashioned kind, on paper, in envelopes, through the USPS, to both their Washington, D.C. offices and their offices in their home states. I thought we’d at least get a form letter, but so far, N-O-T-H-I-N-G.
However, I did get a few responses, some on the actual blog sites, like Wordpress, but a few more on LinkedIn through the group AARP Mature Workers Network. So, I’m not giving up! I still want to reach out to older workers, 55+ and hear their stories, bring attention to this problem and join forces to make change. This problem, according to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, isn’t going away soon. He predicts no improvement in employment rates for at least three years. Since older workers experience longer terms of unemployment than other populations, this is especially BAD news. I don’t know about everyone, but most of us can’t wait that long.
After all, it does not take long to lose the things you have worked your whole life to acquire. We have watched our investments shrink, postponed medical treatment, exhausted savings, borrowed money, incurred debt, ruined our credit, withdrawn retirement funds and lost our homes. Prolonged unemployment adversely affects our health and well-being in many ways. It also prevents us from saving toward retirement, paying income taxes, contributing toward Social Security and reduces our lifetime Social Security payments because many will claim their benefits as early as possible just to survive. Some of us may never retire.
But, if we can just get back to work, make a decent salary and are healthy enough to continue working, we may be able to defer retirement until 73,74, 75, 76 or until we drop dead on the job. On the eve of what should be our retirements, after working hard, raising children and caring for our parents, our dreams for happy and comfortable aging are crushed. SO SAD AND UNFAIR. For decades we have been the employees who offered our professions and communities keen knowledge and skills and contributed greatly to the country’s fiscal health by paying a significant portion of the country’s taxes. Yet, now, when we need relieve and rescue, we are subjected to discriminatory hiring practices, overlooked by our elected officials and basically ignored by our government.
We want and need to work. America can only benefit from our inclusion. Our problem was losing our jobs, at no fault of our own, and trying to re-enter a workplace which has little value for experience and shuns older workers. We cannot continue to suffer in silence or pursue solutions as individuals. SO AGAIN, I AM REACHING OUT AND TRYING TO IDENTIFY UNEMPLOYED AND UNDEREMPLOYED WORKERS 55+. WE NEED TO FIND EACH OTHER AND WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE CHANGES.
Alone, we have no voice or power. Together we can draw attention to this issue, advocate for change and ensure that older workers are hired or retrained for good jobs. PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD. IF YOU ARE AN OLDER WORKER WHO IS UNEMPLOYED OR UNDEREMPLOYED, OR KNOW OF SOMEONE, AND FEEL AGE HAS BEEN A FACTOR, PLEASE SHARE YOUR STORY AND/OR CONTACT ME AT greatjobsover55@gmail.com.
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