Jobs and the Older Person

[Charlie]

What do you think about the situation generally with hiring older people? My dad is struggling right now, as he has a job where he is being taken advantage off. But he can't find another job because he's two years from retirement and no one will hire him. Some people talk of laws removing discrimination-how do you feel?

[silviana]

I know how difficult it is to find a job when you are no longer young and yet older people are wiser, have experience in the field and of life, are likely to be more loyal and are unlikely to have to leave the job in order to marry, have a child and so on. Here in the UK they are in the process of introducing an age discrimination law and I welcome it.

[Isis]

I think that may be part of my problem. I am not old by any means, I am 43, but I am having the hardest time finding something. You would think by being more mature you would have a better chance but I am not finding that.

[umpty]

My good friend is so qualified that he is over qualified and can't find a job because he is older. I think it is so sad because I know he would do a better job in his field then some others I know.

[Delightful]

It won't matter if they introduce laws against discrimination when age is a visible feature when you are interviewing if you don't want to hire an older person you won't.

[Charlie]

I agree that the laws won't help unfortunately-the simple fact is, like with anything else, if you don't want a certain person you will find a way to exclude them. I once worked in a shop in Wales that ONLY hired women. When a guy applied they just made excuses-the position was taken for instance when it wasn't.

[Twila Zone]

Discrimination is out there big time and no one really cares unless they are involved in it. Yes, seniors are discriminated against. So are un-Twiggy people. It's everywhere.

[Charlie]

Un-twiggy; I have to admit that is not a term I have heard before. I can only think that this law could work if they make it so that you have to have a certain number of seniors in your employment.

[September]

I'm sure part of it is that it's just much harder to find a job during a recession, regardless of how old/experienced you are. Some career paths still have a demand to meet, but that's not certainly not true of everything.

Unfortunately, discrimination cases are difficult to prove, especially if the discrimination occurs during the hiring process.