Age discrimination in work industry, should it be made illegal?
By allentcl82
@allentcl82 (590)
Singapore
February 20, 2009 1:21am CST
Are you facing any age discrimination in your working place? especially in this times of recession? Age discrimination occurs if it become a factor when a decision is being made. As we know, age discrimination most of the times occurs during promotion, recruitment and dismissal.
Especially at this recession period, i was starting to wonder whether age have become a factor when deciding to recruit and dismiss people. As for what i see, most being retrenched are of age 40 and above. And in order for them to apply for new jobs, to complete with the young adults that just graduate from college. i often see that they are always the ones that are left behind without a job, yet with a family to support.
I strongly believe that age discrimination should be made illegal, with laws and regulation being passed down to protect their rights and interest. We should always treat the elders with respect, and remember, Old is Gold.. they are far more experience then we do..
What do you think? Do you feel that age discrimination should be made illegal? Or the old workers are to be replaced by new, efficient younger force?
2 responses
@vikrantrox (220)
• India
20 Feb 09
Not really. Age discrimination is not a good idea. Its not always that oldies who are experiences are mature enough to take good decisions. Now a days we youngsters are living in so competitive world that we are made to act far more mature before time. ITs like survival for the fittest. SO now even we young blood can make good decisions and infact have a wide range of thinking rather than restricted and narrow thinking of the old people. Though respecting the old employees, we should not treat them a useless but its better if they play a role of consultants and allow young people to act and be responsible.
There should be no LAW for this particular issue else we young will never be allowed to spread our wings.
@allentcl82 (590)
• Singapore
23 Feb 09
I got to agree that age discrimination falls not only to the elderly or mature crowd, but to the young crowd as well.. Younger crowd can be cheaper to hire, employ, and thus discriminating the older crowd, but older crowd, with a mature mentality, experience may stand a better chance in terms of promotion.. and i do agree that no matter its hiring, promotion opportunities, or dismissal that age shouldnt be a factor..
@maximax8 (31053)
• United Kingdom
21 Feb 09
My career path is primary school teaching. The pay is on a points level for years of service. So a 22 year old newly qualified teacher will be a lot cheaper to employee than a 54 year of teacher thirty years experience. When I was at university a lecturer mentioned some schools have a different newly qualified teacher every year on a one year contract. That is economical for the school budget. Some experienced older teachers are so expensive to employ that they can't find a job in teaching all that easily.
In some other areas of employment I know that younger employees are favored. At a job interview for office work when I was a student I was told I was young so would fit in well with the team. If an office has seven employees that are between ages 18 and 27 the might not want a 59 year old joining them. That person would be close to retirement.
It is sad that many people face redundancies and the other the person is the more difficult it will be for him to get another job. That is a shame because the old and stead with experience. I like your words "old is gold" because that is true. Between 40 and 65 people are at their peak. So in my opinion they would be a great employee. All ages should be equal but experience should be rewarded in a positive way.
@allentcl82 (590)
• Singapore
23 Feb 09
Alas, all ages should be equal, but from your thoughts and comments, i can see that it's not what is being reflected in the industry, age still plays a factor in terms of hiring, or dismissal.. for now the times are bad, and i can see several loyal employees to the company ( 5 or greater number of years with the company) being retrenched. I understand that they yield a higher pay compared to those who just joined the company, but they are the first to go, even though they have stay loyal, and not job hopping..
Love your job, not your company
you never know when your company doesnt love you anymore..
