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Fighting ageism in the workplace

Posted on 19. Mar, 2005 by Bill in Employment News

Fighting ageism in the workplace

Aunt Gertie and Aunt Ethel were characters. They both were the younger sisters of my grandfather and the daughters of their mother, another character, who lived to be 100 years old. You never knew what to expect out of them next, and usually they were successful in their endeavors.

Later in life, Aunt Gertie and Aunt Ethel were widowed, lived together and took care of their aged mother. Both of them had the usual aches and pains that accompany old age, but they were determined not to give into the pressures of aging.

Rather, in their late 60s, they decided that the work force needed them. They took jobs as sales clerks at Gimbles Department Store in the very busy downtown Philadelphia location. They both had snow-white hair, which was worn in the popular finger-waves of the day. (Hair coloring back in the late 1930s was considered by some only for the woman of the street.) They dressed very fashionably, painted their faces and nails, donned their finest jewelry and as only they could conduct themselves, ruled the roost.

Up until they were in their late 80s they continued to work. Their parental heritage taught them that work was the secret to happiness and health.

Unfortunately, today, I wonder if many much younger folks would survive in this days society. We have a real problem with ageism in America today and old people have their place now.

I often wonder how many executives in their 20s today would want to sit across the table with one who is old enough to be their father or mother. Somehow, gray hair and wrinkles are equated with old age regardless of how young a person may be.

Perhaps this is why millions of dollars are spent annually on hair coloring, wrinkle-defying creams, hair transplants, facelifts and now complete makeovers, which include tummy tucks, breast augmentation and a host of other cosmetic procedures. (Perhaps there might be some hope for us old geezers yet.)

Age discrimination (though denied by many employers and illegal) is very much alive and well. Somehow it is felt by those who know that by the time you reach 45, in a relentless quest for young stuff, many find themselves weighed in the balances and found wanting. How tragic! How unfair! How stupid! How frightening to have to start over again.

Tom Osborne, attorney with the AARP Foundation Legislation points out, We believe its important to fight age discrimination in the workplace. This fact should give fair warning to all employers in any industries or places of employment.

Old doesnt mean stupid. Old doesnt mean senile. Old doesnt mean quarrelsome. Old doesnt mean undependable. Old doesnt mean uncreative. Old doesnt mean unneeded.

Having been an employer most of my life in one area or another, I have found more seasoned persons of vintage far more dependable, knowledgeable and loyal than those of this modern generation. With all the modern devices, aides, technology and methods of doing things, perhaps too many have depended on these rather than the initiative, creativity, pride and ability of experienced or trainable old people who might surprise you.

Many writers in the entertainment field in Hollywood have come to the conclusion that the only way to avoid age discrimination in Hollywood is to die young.

For those who wont give up easily, they continue to dress young, dye their hair, exclude important information about their work experience on their resumes and even falsify their date of birth. Think of what society is losing by forgetting the valuable contributions our seniors can still make and what role they now are forced to play: starting all over again.

Serious thought: Shakespeare wasnt 15 when he penned Romeo and Juliet, nor was Grandma Moses a child prodigy when she began painting. So whats your excuse? (Personally, I have refused to give up gray hair and all!)

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Tags: Employment News