Ageism Is a Growing Problem in America

Making Less Money as My Costs Increased

I was laid off from my job in an electrical warehouse in 2008. I was the oldest employee in the company, and the first to go. When I turned 70, my life insurance company raised my rate and lowered the payoff from $100,000 to a lesser amount each year. I applied for many other jobs, but my social security number revealed that I was in my mid-sixties and no one would hire me. Our vehicles were insured by AAA. Every year my rate increased significantly, although I had no accidents and no moving violations. After I became 70 years of age, I began to receive many phone calls which were obviously scams attempting to steal the little money I possessed. I block every phone number I do not know today.

The 2010 Census Was a Blessing

I was in management in Reno, Nevada for the 2010 Decennial Census. In our office, we had employees from ages 18 to 80. Age discrimination or any other possible reason to exclude anyone did not exist. Only test scores were considered for positions in the Census. Those of us who were older began to talk about the discrimination we received when seeking employment. Our staff included attorneys, computer programmers, and many other professionals. The majority of our office staff received an embarrassing $10 per hour.

What the AARP Learned about Seniors in the Workplace

About 1/3 of the American workforce is over the age of 50. According to a poll by AARP, 78% of older adult workers say they’ve seen or have experienced age discrimination in the workplace.

“Yeah, I feel kind of pushed. Pushed out,” said Susan Hart who is 58.

In 2018 AARP performed a study about how our nation’s seniors are treated in the 21st century. This is what they found.

•  Nearly 1 in 4 workers age 45 and older have been subjected to negative comments about their age from supervisors or coworkers.
• About 3 in 5 older workers have seen or experienced age discrimination in the workplace.
• 76 percent of these older workers see age discrimination as a hurdle to finding a new job; another report found that more than half of these older workers are prematurely pushed out of longtime jobs and 90 percent of them never earn as much again.
• 29 percent of U.S. households headed by someone age 55 or older have no retirement savings or pension, meaning they’ll have to continue working or rely on Social Security to survive. But if the only job that remains open to them is unskilled and minimum wage, what does their future hold?
• Older people who don’t feel useful are three times more likely to develop a disability and four times more likely to die prematurely, compared with counterparts who do feel useful, according to a 2007 study published in the Journals of Gerontology. If 30-plus years as a professional are suddenly thoroughly discounted by the business world, the effect on your health and longevity is undeniable.

The Best Staff I Ever Worked With

Those of us who were fortunate enough to have management positions also felt enormous gratitude for the men and women who worked with us. Without their expertise and devotion, we could never have completed the many projects which challenged ahead of schedule and two-billion dollars under budget.

Gratitude for Everyone I Worked with Between March 2009 and October 2010

I was in charge of most of the field operations. Several were quite complicated. Materials needed to complete their tasks had to be sent to the crew leaders. The man who helped me the most was an older man, like myself, who had owned a business that was involved in shipping thousands of items each day. He never made a single mistake.

My personal assistant was 10 years older than me. He had been an attorney for most of his life, and I can never place a value on his accomplishments. Not once did I question his actions. It was because of Andrew that I could focus on what needed to be done and how to do it.

I was grateful for many of the younger men and women as well. We were a talented and dedicated team. I found no difference between most of our staff regardless of age, sex, or any other aspect. Their efforts to help me complete my assignments will always be some of my best memories.

By James Turnage, Author of “Down from the Mountain”

Sources:

ABC Action News: In-depth: Why more older adults say they face age discrimination in the workplace

AARP: Workplace Age Discrimination Still Flourishes in America

Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Consumers Energy‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License