In an already tough economy, some say they're facing an extra hurdle in their quest for jobs. They're older, and they say potential employers often hold that against them.
During a hearing at the Indiana Statehouse, some of those workers testified about their struggles.
Jim Hand is 54, and an unemployed auto worker. Hal Goldman is 74, and looking for work as a business consultant. They've both been looking for work for months.
Goldman: "They would ask my age during the interview, and I refused to answer. They also asked me a question about how long I planned to work."
Hand: "It's awful. I mean, it's absolutely awful because I kind of feel like my future is slipping through my fingers."
Hand and Goldman each testified at the Statehouse in favor of a bill that would toughen the state's age discrimination law.
Paul Chase of AARP Indiana: "It would actually create a remedy. People right now have a right to bring a discrimination claim, but they don't have a remedy, a meaningful remedy. All the Indiana Department of Labor can do is issue a finding of fact that the discrimination occurred. But to a person who's been terminated or not been hired, it doesn't do anything to help them in terms of the economic damage that they may have suffered."
Full Article and Source:
Older workers lobby for ageism bill
More information:
Workers seek protection from age discrimination
Opponents knock age discrimination bill
During a hearing at the Indiana Statehouse, some of those workers testified about their struggles.
Jim Hand is 54, and an unemployed auto worker. Hal Goldman is 74, and looking for work as a business consultant. They've both been looking for work for months.
Goldman: "They would ask my age during the interview, and I refused to answer. They also asked me a question about how long I planned to work."
Hand: "It's awful. I mean, it's absolutely awful because I kind of feel like my future is slipping through my fingers."
Hand and Goldman each testified at the Statehouse in favor of a bill that would toughen the state's age discrimination law.
Paul Chase of AARP Indiana: "It would actually create a remedy. People right now have a right to bring a discrimination claim, but they don't have a remedy, a meaningful remedy. All the Indiana Department of Labor can do is issue a finding of fact that the discrimination occurred. But to a person who's been terminated or not been hired, it doesn't do anything to help them in terms of the economic damage that they may have suffered."
Full Article and Source:
Older workers lobby for ageism bill
More information:
Workers seek protection from age discrimination
Opponents knock age discrimination bill
5 comments:
Here's what gets my goat about that - the older workers are the better employees. They were raised during a time when work ethics were right up there with character ethics. They take pride in their work and their accomplishments.
Companies would be far better off if they'd hire more near seniors and seniors themselves.
Ageism is a subtle discrimination. It's done without much thinking.
If a teenager decides to spend the day in a treehouse and eat cookies, then that's cute and he/she is being a teenager.
But, let an elderly person do the same, and they're calling in the white coats.
It's hard enough getting old without everybody watching every move and holding a person's age against them.
Our country is divided into so many different groups:
gender, race, profession, age and income
There oughtta be a law!
In this worsening economy, people have no recourse but to return to work, and everyone should have the right to do so.
I agree with Anonymous who addressed the work ethic.
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