The ORIGINAL Baby Boomer site.

   Home | Subscribe | Links | Contact Us

Age discrimination- what is it? Whenever we make others feel worthless then we are discriminating.

I had my first taste of it last month at my workplace and it took its toll on me as I was not prepared for it. I was preparing for a new leadership role that had been offered to me and I asked for an opinion from a respected Y generation (15-29) colleague about an induction program that I was putting together for new staff in the office I would be leading.

The answer, to my amazement, focused on why I would be taking such a role on because ‘I was as old as her father and should be thinking of retirement’, plus ‘the new job contained a lot of admin and I was not good at that’, plus ‘she could not learn anything from me about IT and she had joined the company to learn.’

This is age discrimination whether it is consciously or subconsciously intended and it worked. I subsequently declined the role to avoid that type of conflict.

My colleague and I have since talked it through and she assured me that she did not realise the affect what she said was having on me at the time and she was angry at the time over what she perceived as a leadership style that she did not agree with. (I had suggested in our talk that she might like to try another office if she really could not work with me).

This incident is the very reason that we should have a mature age policy in every workplace as the ‘you’re too old’ mentality is alive and well.

In an ageing Australia, all generations have to realise that after 40 years in the workforce, you do have skills. It may not be advanced IT skills but we can make up for that with our strengths just as I recognise and respect her skills.

Mature age should be allowed to continue with dreams and aspirations and not be made to feel they are past it.

My communication skills are exceptional and, for that reason, I would have handled the leadership role very comfortably. I have also managed staff successfully in my own business and in an office situation.

Our certification may be decades old (I have a Diploma from 1977, a Bachelor from 1981 and a Diploma from 1997) but we still know how to research and how to learn and recent studies prove we are capable of making sharp decisions, learn new processes and proactive thinking.

It was hard not to return serve and criticize her youth but good communication is based on the premise that’ I’m okay, you’re okay’ and as soon as you make either player in a conversation think they are not okay, then you have a communication problem.

I am grateful that I found out about her feelings towards me before I took on the role because to me an office is about a team. A team is made up of people with different strengths who bond and work together using each others strengths to perform well as a group for positive outcomes. The negative stuff only stops people moving forward. My skills will still be my future.

So what do you do about age discrimination? There is not much you can do. I let those involved know that I was left with a feeling of worthlessness and, for awhile, I felt very let down.

I have since decided that it was meant to happen as I was empowered enough to make the decision not to proceed and I am not prepared to dwell on it as my timeline of life reminds me that time wasting is not on my agenda so I am looking for other opportunities.

It is another lesson in life and you never stop learning. Discrimination is alive and well and probably always will be. Mature Age Policies in the workplace may stop it but don’t let it stop you and don’t get into long battles over it. Don’t waste your time.

This month on the web/blog, we question the need for Centrelink in its current form and wonder where we went wrong as parents in teaching our children basic skills by giving them jobs. Check out the blog site on the web www.bonza.com.au

NOTE:

1. BONZA advocates for a separate government office, a Maturelink, to highlight the importance of Mature Age looking to Move Forward in life not plan for retirement only in our older years. This is now even more essential now we have to work to 67.

2. A need for incentives from government for families to build granny flats for the aged care of family members at home.

3. A need for Community Health Clinics that the aged can attend and not clog the hospital system just as we had some priority at birth due to our numbers.

4. A strong community based program for aged to take an interest in the local community through supporting schools, group exercising, supporting welfare groups and strong social clubs for the aged.

5. Government incentives to allow us to retain/build assets so that we can support ourselves more as we age.

6. Developments of the Uni of the Third Age so that minds are kept active through study and research.

7. Break Centrelink up into a smaller office. Aged Pension to Retirement Offices, Familes to Medicare (completely), Disabled to revamped CRS offices, Youth to Youthlink (could be in Centrelink with Maturelink so mentor roles are easier) and Newstart to Job Network who could also pay them when there is compliance with job seeking.

Lots to do folks so let’s get on with it and have a BONZA LIFE!

Past Issues

Bonza Life May 2009
Bonza Life April 2009
Bonza Life March 2009