Age Discrimination The New Scourge In The Labor Market. Put Age Discrimination Under Affirmative Ac

[TheMastersNemesis]

Age discrimination has been growing for years. It has been an endemic epidemic for thirty years as corporations began to shed more and more of its older workers. Today it is a raging pandemic that went on steroids during the recession that started in 2007. There are almost no protections against age discrimination because few lawyers now will take such cases. And DOL is not earnestly pursuing such matters. Class action suits have been the only way to address the issue, but winning does not result in proper remuneration. Because employer records are confidential it is very difficult to prove a pattern of discrimination. And SCOTUS is closing the door on class action suits to redress grievances.

Today's older workers are almost defenseless in this economy. Unfortunately older workers will never work again in their old occupations and will be relegated to low paying make do jobs in a service economy.

The new reality is that a worker is too old now by 45. Older workers are bad for the new "bottom line' philosophy because they would get too generous benefits and are likely to use health insurance. The new normal is because conservatives and Republicans have opposed any laws that stop employers from dumping older workers. Seniority and longevity on the job are bad words now and are avoided at all costs.

It used to be that a worker's highest earnings were just before retirement at 62. Now the rule by corporations is to get rid of workers before they can qualify for retirement benefits. Seniors are now faced with the likely hood that they will have to survive on low wage jobs until they can retire on Social Security and Medicare. That means 20 years plus in the low wage job market.

This new situation was deliberately engineered by the GOP and their business allies. The new philosophy must be challenged and reversed.

AGE DISCRIMINATION MUST BE PUT UNDER AFFIRMATIVE ACTION LAWS TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. That shift puts the burden of proof on the employer and not the employee. It empowers the federal government the ability to issue court orders and put federal overseers in the offending companies' personnel departments who must comply and report corrective action or face contempt of court for NOT DOING SO.

[Iris]

1. You know, I just can't get all that worked up about this.

Society is creating a problem that will have to be solved. There's a meme this week about retirement - NPR had a spot about retirement counselors using digital aging to convince people to start seriously saving for retirement, there's an article in WSJ about how the move to 401k's over the past 25-30 years is a dismal failure. At some point, we'll all have to step up to the plate for this b/c you simply can't have a society full of people who can't take care of themselves due to limits placed on them by society (or, more accurately, "the market&quot

[Joe Shlabotnik]

2. I kind of agree with Iris's post above.

And I'd add to that, that as someone who is 40, educated and currently unemployed I'm totally dismayed by the sheer volume of 60-70 year olds that I know personally who won't retire, while younger folks who are just starting out, some with young children and college debt can't find work. Here in Canada they just raised the retirement age to 67 when in fact the best thing they could have done is (even temporarily) lowered it to give a chance to some younger folks.

[Fumesucker]

5. It's more *can't* retire than won't..

Sure there are some who won't retire but there's a lot more that can't afford to do so.

One of the worst things about global warming is the severe shortage of ice floes for us older people, I've had to get in a lottery for mine..

[Nay]

10. Most ppl CANNOT retire until age 65, because they have no health insurance to 'bridge' them

to Medicare. Tons of ppl I know would retire tomorrow if they could be assured of affordable health insurance/care. And no, individual policies won't cut the mustard....a 63-yr-old retiree cannot pay $1800 a month for a policy that can be canceled as soon as it is used. I am lucky in that I will be able to retire at 62, because my employer allows me to continue my employee policy at the same (low) rate and same conditions. This is rare among employers.

Furthermore, many 60-70 yr olds are still caring for their elders and/or their children/grandchildren, who have all been thrown to the wolves. Sonny Nay, his wife and child lived with us for a year after his union electrician job went the way of the dodo with the construction crash. We are helping them buy a modest fixer-upper house. Mr Nay and I make good money and we are extremely frugal, and that's the only way we can help anyone at all.

Need I remind anyone of some of the ancillary problems this society has? Like the drumbeat of consumerism that spends its every energy on beguiling ppl from birth to death to spend their money on shit? Just because I can resist doesn't mean everyone can.

[kiva]

8. What makes you think those 60-70 year olds CAN retire?

Most of the people I know in that age range can't afford to retire - they've seen their retirement funds gutted and many have spent the past few years supporting adult children and often grandchildren.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

9. Some can, some can't.

I'm only speaking from my personal experience. I live in city where GM used to employ 1 out 10 people. When the plants started closing, many took early retirement incentives and went right back into the job market. I hired a few of them when I owned my own company, and I know of many others too. I don't mean to start an age-war or anything, but I'm just pointing out that there are only so many jobs, and there are a lot of young people who are better educated, yet more disadvantaged then their parents generation and they need to feed themselves too.

[mrmpa]

3. Totally agree with this post........

My resume with my college graduation dates would put me at being about 29-30, however I'm 55. I get called in for interviews, but when the interviewer is half my age, I know their first thought is how old is she really? I don't look 55, closer to 45, but this still scares off the jobs.

I'm unemployed and looking anywhere for anything.

[Zalatix]

6. Is there a way that older workers can crash the market?

Hell, why aren't they even going so far as to protest?

[Fumesucker]

7. Some of them are..

This is what happens when they do..

How quickly we forget.