The Persistence of Age Discrimination

“In my opinion, what makes a job search so difficult for people in later years is a sense of entitlement to certain pay levels, benefits and perks without bringing to the workplace the new skills and energy required of the position.”

- The Business Ledger [undated]

In other words, according to Jim Elsener, older workers are shiftless, lazy lay-abouts who want something for nothing.

On what is his statement based? Crabby Old Lady wants to know. What are this guy’s sources? How many, compared the universe of older workers, is he talking about? He doesn’t tell us. He just smears everyone not young with contemptible bigotry worthy of the Ku Klux Klan.

You think that’s too strong a characterization? Think again. A lot of people seem to believe they can use slurs against older workers they wouldn't dream of using against other groups. Crabby and her friend Ronni will continue to repeat this little experiment, when such bigotry is encountered, until the world gets it: replace the phrase “people in later years” in that quote with “people of color.” There is no difference in the underlying hate represented.

And that is what older workers are up against even though study after study show them to be more reliable, stable, experienced and productive than many younger workers. Mr. Elsener continues:

“Older workers must upgrade their skills to modern expectations, maintain an energetic work ethic, have reasonable expectations and be open to change.”

Does he mean more reasonable than the 20-something who was insulted, some years ago when Crabby offered her a production assistant position, because she thought she was a producer based on making one ten-minute graduation film? Or is he speaking of the skill level of the young job applicant, presenting himself to Crabby as a writer, who couldn’t construct a sentence in which the subject and verb agreed?

The negative assumptions held about older workers applied against correspondingly positive ones about younger workers are stunning to Crabby in their ignorance. Age bigots, who harp at length about older workers upgrading their skills, proceed from the belief, it seems, that everyone older than 50 has been locked in a time warp during their past 30 years of employment, still using a manual typewriter.

But the real difficulty for older workers is not in the details. The persistence of age discrimination stems from the same mindless hatefulness from which racism occurs, and it is no less tolerable.

Comments

[Michael]

The biggest problem that I have is that Jim Elsener starts his commentary with "I’ll soon be 61 years old."

He's condemning himself!

[Clarence]

Crabby

We've got to get you elected to some public office with clout.

How about POTUS. I'd vote for you.