AGE DISCRIMINATION IN AMERICA

I recently read an article in AARP about age bias and the affects on older citizens and it has sent me flying to write about it.  Regrettably, I could not find a link for the March 2020 AARP article.  It may not yet be published online, so here is the title:

AGE BIAS COSTS US ALL
AARP MARCH 2020 ISSUE
PAGE 38

Yes, I am one of those older citizens who hardly meets the old stereotype, yet I am older. That being said, whether one looks one’s age or not is not the point and should not be a reason to be subjected to age discrimination.  According to the AARP study, despite legislation to eliminate ageism bias, things have not changed because there is no oversight committee to see that legislation is followed.  There is no one to fine companies for breaking the rules or not following regulation.  Even Americans as young as 50-something are being forced to retire. Companies conjure up any reason to replace older, valuable workers with younger ones.  The reasons are many, stemming from wanting more youthful, plumped-skinned, flowing hair, short-dress, sexy workers to not wanting to pay retirement or any owed funds to older workers.  They also seem to think that older workers can’t relate to modern technology or that they went out with the typewriter when it is those same older workers who were involved in the creation of modern technology in the first place.  We are destined to our own destruction less we remember that as long as we are alive, old age will come and the same treatment will be bestowed upon the very same people doing it to us.  The question to ask is this: “Is that what you want for yourselves?  How will you feel when it happens to you, or do you plan on dying before it does?”

Yes, there are those of us who will not be able to function after a certain age, just like some of us will die younger than others and some of us will live to be centenarians, that’s a part of life.  No one is suggesting that companies hire those members of society who may have cerebral dysfunction or physical limitations which do not allow them to work, but for those citizens who are capable, healthy and able to work, there should be no barriers.

I recently had a friend tell me that she really wants to be friends with me because she likes me and likes socializing with me and my friends, but she is hesitant because I talk a lot about age.  I handled that conversation diplomatically because I  like her as well, and want our friendship to flourish, so I overlooked her comment because as a forty-something year-old woman, she has not yet reached the pinnacle of her working life.  She has not yet had any negative experiences with age or felt the affects of being passed over.  Neither did I when I was her age.

I also have a friend who is an H.R.V.P., and he shared with me that there are many hiring managers he knows who will not hire older workers.  How sad is that or is it just the ignorance of a younger, arrogant mind with no foresight?  What companies and hiring managers don’t realize is that older workers are far more stable and dedicated than younger workers who often have a swing-door mentality, looking for a more exciting, better paying gig.

According to the AARP magazine article, a study conducted by the EIU shows that workplace age discrimination has a negative impact on the entire economy.  The analysis looked at the growth that could be generated if employers had better hiring practices and retention strategies to address age bias.  It found that the U.S. economy missed out on $850 billion in 2018 from the loss of 50-plus workers’ contributions, and it could reach $3.9 trillion in 2050.

In 2015 after a reduction in staff at my previous company, I applied for eleven (11) jobs at Cal State Northridge for which I was well qualified, only to receive ten (10) declination letters with no prior interview.  It was only when I wrote the President of the University, Dr. Dianne Harrison, did I receive a call for a job interview for the eleventh job, which, by the way, I never got.  I was interviewed by two young ladies, a fraction of my age, who asked some silly questions about past office encounters, none of which were about my experience or skills, and shortly after, I was dismissed.  I knew where I stood when I walked out of that room.  By the way, I never got to meet the person with whom I would ultimately work were I ever hired.  It was clearly a cursory interview done to appease me as a result of my letter.  Though Dr. Harrison’s office may have suggested that they interview me, I never received a response from her or anyone in her office acknowledging my correspondence.  This is the time in which we are living.  No courtesy, no acknowledgement, no personal contact.  Dr. Harrison had neither time nor interest in me or my issues because she had her job and was secure in it, or is she?  Thirty years ago, she may have responded to my letter or even picked up the phone, but not in today’s landscape. We’ve now become human baggage to be disposed of as useless, outdated junk.

I recently signed up with Indeed, (2019/2020) applying for approximately twenty-two (20) jobs, again, jobs for which I was, and still am very qualified, to no avail.  One job listed by a law firm [because I recently completed paralegal studies at National University] stated that while IQ was important, their focus was on EQ (emotional Quota).  I was excited because I thought I had a chance since I am a proponent of humanity, (compassion, kindness, caring, consideration, empathy, etc.) because no matter how smart one is, without fundamental social skills, one is at a disadvantage.  I received a nice declination letter and it wasn’t because of my resume or cover letter, I am almost certain.  To not be given one iota of a chance for an interview was demoralizing.  Of course, it could’ve been because I am a person of color, who knows, but with only one click of the button, one’s age appears on the internet so there’s no getting around it.

I have finally stopped seeking jobs on Indeed or any other internet job site because it is an exercise in futility.  Someone once advised me to stop putting my information out there in cyberspace for all to see.  Good advice.  I now realize that I will either have to create my own income source or network with friends for referrals.  Then and only then, will I be successful in finding work because people are more accepting of what they know or are familiar and comfortable with.

Here is a link to an AARP December 2019 article on ageism titled:

Workplace Age Discrimination Still Flourishes in America

   https://www.aarp.org/work/working-at-50-plus/info-2019/age-discrimination-in-america.html

This AARP article on ageism is very insightful and unless one is heartless, it has a deafening affect on one’s soul.  This is what is happening in good ol’ America the beautiful which proclaims to care about its citizens.  A country which boasts to be the greatest country in the world.  We should stop using that phrase because greatness isn’t just about how much power or money a country has; greatness should also be about how a country treats its citizens and how it treats others around the world.  Corporations, companies or any business should be ashamed of themselves for engaging in such treatment.  We care more about people at the border who are coming with a hand out for a handout, than we do about our seniors who have made vasts contributions to this country.  Nothing wrong with helping people at the borders or others, but doesn’t charity begin in the home?  Isn’t that what we are taught?  I have yet to hear a discussion on The View, GMA, The Today Show or CBS Good Morning about Ageism in America.  Oh, maybe they’ve been one or two discussions which I may have missed, but a few discussions are not enough.  There should be a continuing series because with every day that passes, we are all ageing.  I watch these shows diligently, since half the time I’m at home, and I never see any discussions about ageism and its rippling affects in this country or the economy which are massive.  I do not see any older citizens appearing on these shows discussing this issue and getting results.  We should be proud of our older citizens and our contributions should be touted, not dismissing us like old spoiled, canned fish, hoping that we get eaten up by the scavengers of the ocean.  Starting with this article, I intend to do something about it because I am not going to take this in a supine position.  Old or not, a girl has gotta eat.

Look for continuing articles on this subject and if you have, or you know of anyone who has experienced ageism in America, I’d love to hear from you and I’d love to write about your experience.

Please feel free to leave a comment below or reach out to me.  We’re all in this together, because, unless we die, we’re all going to age.