Older workers bring a lot to the table – yet are often overlooked

When Liz Jones, 63, took an early retirement package a few years ago, she did so because she saw the writing on the wall.

Jones (name changed for professional reasons) was a senior human resources executive for a large global company in New Jersey, where she had been for more than 20 years. However, she began to feel pushed when her bosses began to exclude her from meetings and send colleagues on business trips to her country. Shortly thereafter, her position was eliminated and she was given a severance package.

“The theory is that they wanted to bring some fresh blood into the organization,” Jones said. “Legacy employees [with significant years of service] usually have richer benefits, higher pensions. They get rid of people in those expensive pensions. It was a clear strategy.â€

Jones encountered challenges finding a new job, spending four hours a day applying, trimming her totals to include only the last 20 years and including new certifications while omitting graduation dates of degrees earned. (although applicant tracking systems usually require the year of graduation). .

“I didn’t know how much of a part of my identity my work was, so it had a bigger impact on me than just my finances,” said Jones, who eventually took on a contract consulting role. “It affected my self-esteem, my relationships with my friends and family and my self-esteem.”

Jones is not alone in experiencing ageism, when employers make judgments about someone’s skills based solely on their biological years.

Although the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 protects people 40 and older from bias in hiring, firing, promotion, compensation, benefits, job duties, training, firing, and harassment, in reality, it still happens.

According to an Age in the Workplace Survey conducted in May by the résumé site Resume Now, 90% of workers who are 40 or older have experienced ageism at work, and roughly half of respondents said their employer employs mostly younger workers.

If this happens to you, Midtown East attorney Albert Rizzo suggested talking to an employment attorney.

“An attorney will want to understand what actions the employer took and whether those actions were based on the employee’s age,” Rizzo said. “Any adverse action can give rise to an actionable claim. These actions may include failure to promote, denial of privileges granted to other employees, exclusion from meetings and projects.

Employers who aren’t taking advantage of the opportunity to hire seasoned and experienced workers like Jones may be missing out, as they tend to be more loyal and have lower turnover rates than younger workers. As Americans live longer and healthier lives, they also have more stable working years, and in addition to contributing valuable soft skills such as communication and relationship building, they can mentor younger colleagues.

“Employers are definitely missing the boat, though not as much as they used to,” said Christopher Farrell, senior economics contributor, Marketplace and Minnesota Public Radio, columnist and author of “Purpose and a Paycheck: Finding Meaning, Money and Happiness in second half of life – AMACOM “The statistic that best illustrates the underlying trend for me comes from the US Census Bureau’s forecast that by 2034 there will be more people aged 65 and over than under the age of 18. It’s no wonder the workforce is also aging.” €€

Data shows that companies excel when generations interact, according to a global study published by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development in 2020, “Promoting an Age Inclusive Workforce: Living, Learning and Earning Longer.” The study concluded that age diversity can increase an organization’s productivity, so the sum is greater than its parts. Moreover, there may be strong correlations between young and old workers.

“In general, older workers have crystallized experiences and wisdom and know how to carefully and effectively navigate crises at work, given the limitation of unintended consequences,” noted Guillermo E. Gonzales, professor of labor social studies at New York University.

However, age bias is not exclusive to experienced workers. “Denial doesn’t just happen to older workers,” Gonzales said. “Younger workers are also aging targets.â€

Dr. Tracey Gendron, chair of the Department of Gerontology at Virginia Commonwealth University and author of “Age Unmasked: Exploring Age Bias and How to End It” (Steerforth), agreed. “Age discrimination at work – against those of any age – prevents people from fulfilling their social potential,” she said. “When skilled people are kept out of job roles because of their age, it strains economic growth, forces workplace tension and creates segregation, leading to lower productivity. You are left with a potential worker who cannot contribute economically to society and a business with unrealized income.

Gendron said ageism is “one of the most common forms of employment discrimination,” and if companies consistently demonstrate ageist behavior, she suggested advocating for age training that focuses on creating an age-inclusive environment.

Christie Smith, Ph.D., founder of leadership consulting firm Humanity Studio and co-author of “Essential: How Distributed Teams, Generative AI, and Global Shifts Are Creating a New Human-Powered Leadership” (Wiley), believes that companies must create a community.

“Organizations need to talk about an alumni network,” she said. “Start building a graduate mindset from the moment someone walks in the door. We must think of our employees as employees for life.â€

Above all, age should be seen as an asset and not a liability.

“What we can all do is recognize that aging is the one universal thing that every human being on the planet has in common,” Gendron said. “Embracing the aging process and valuing all stages of life would help create a society that can see the unique contributions of people across the lifespan.”