#ageism #OlderWorkers #AgeDiscrimination
“He’s too old to cut the mustard anymore.”
That’s a lyric from a 1950s-era country song about a man who used to jump picket fences, but now is lucky if he can jump an inch, to paraphrase another lyric from the song.
It brings to mind a problem – or, rather, a situation – in today’s work force.
People are living longer, and some are choosing to work longer. Trouble is, their employers don’t want to keep them past a certain age.
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy tackled this issue in an article for the Rockland/Weschester (N.Y.) Journal. It was also published Sept. 2, 2018, in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“With 10,000 baby boomers reaching 65 every day – a trend that began in 2011 and is set to continue until 2029 – it is past the time to have a conversation about attitudes toward retirement. After all, since the time Social Security set the retirement eligibility at 65 in 1936, life expectancy at birth has gone up by 20 years,” the reporter writes.
The article points out an organization called Respectful Exits, which aims to mobilize the voices and talents of aging workers.
“Age discrimination occurs when an employer treats an applicant or employee less favorably because of his or her age, “ the article quotes the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission.
The reporter quotes Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg as saying that “young people are just smarter.”
Admittedly, in some lines of work, age matters. A construction laborer probably will be more productive in his 20s than in his 60s.
Athletes can be at the top of their games for a decade or two, but likely not more than that.
But in most white-collar situations, the older worker is probably no worse – in some cases, better – than his or her younger colleagues.
But, here’s the rub. Workers with more experience tend to cost employers more. They, in many cases, get more vacation time. If they are lucky enough to have them, they may tend to use the health insurance benefits more. The health insurer may raise the company’s premium because they are employing older workers.
From the worker’s viewpoint, they may not have enough money saved, or may not be able to afford to retire on Social Security and whatever pension they may have.
Some may enjoy their jobs so much they don’t want to leave.
So what’s a worker to do when, deservedly or not, they are let go? What do they do when their once-glowing performance evaluations suddenly tank? What if they keep getting messages, subliminal or otherwise, that they need to go?
First, workers, no matter what age, need to be prepared for when that happens. They need to look at other ways to make money so that they can survive, even thrive, after their job disappears.
There are many ways out there to make a potentially substantial amount of money with a few part-time hours a week. To check out one of the best, message me.
The lesson here is that the day will come in nearly everyone’s career that a tough decision will be made. Workers need to start preparing from the youngest age possible for that day, for they know not when it will come.
It may require some outside-comfort-zone thinking, but it would be wise for everyone to do it.
Peter
Tag Archives: The Atlanta Jounal-Constitution
GROCERY SHOPPING SHIFTS IN MODERN ERA
#GroceryDelivery #groceries #Amazon
Wes Moss saw the future of the grocery industry show up at his front door in the person of Rena, who was delivering his family’s groceries.
Moss, who writes a Money Matters column for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, ordered his groceries through a service called SHIPT. Rena, as it turned out, was his personal shopper.
Moss discussed his experience, and the future of the grocery industry, in a column published July 4, 2017.
Long before Amazon bought Whole Foods, Nielson had predicted that by 2025, nearly 20 percent of all grocery shopping will be done on-demand, Moss writes.
He recently tested the SHIPT service to see whether it could deliver a full week’s grocery list for the Moss family. Rena told Moss that she does as many as six to eight full-scale shops per day, earning wages and tips. Rena loves grocery shopping, Moss writes.
SHIPT employs tens of thousands of shoppers across the country. If the personal shopper model takes off, it could create a significant number of jobs, Moss writes.
Traditional grocery jobs may be replaced by more technologically centered roles, Moss writes. When ATMs came on the scene, it was feared the bank teller jobs would evaporate. The number of teller jobs actually increased from 500,000 to 550,000, Moss writes.
The point Moss is making is that old jobs may disappear, but, at least in some industries, they will be replaced by a different kind of job.
Many out there had good, “old” jobs. Those good, “old” jobs, in many cases, have either disappeared, or are about to disappear, before those who have them are ready to retire.
Complaining about the trend, or trying to force industry to resist such trends, is like complaining about the weather. You can’t stop progress, and, though people get hurt in the short run, good people usually end up on their feet – or even better off than they were.
Lamenting wastes energy that could be used to figure out what one should do next. Should he train for one of those “new” jobs in his industry? That may depend on one’s age, and how much he likes the industry he’s in.
If he’s like Moss’ Rena and loves grocery shopping, he may want to adapt to the new trend in whatever industry he’s grown to like. Or, he may literally become a personal shopper.
For some, though, it may be a chance to check out something new. There are many excellent ways to earn money without having a regular, W-2 job. To learn about one of the best such vehicles, message me.
Some of us see changing trends, downsizing etc. as evil. Perhaps it will turn some people’s lives upside down. But, like a fast-moving train with a weak brake, it’s difficult, if not impossible, to stop. Companies need to be flexible and nimble with the fast changes.
To those who work for such companies, your energy is better spent working on your next move than complaining about or resisting the inevitable.
Rena took good care of Moss and his family, he writes. She did so with a smile and lots of energy. He writes that it left him with a positive outlook on the future of food consumption.
A positive outlook on the future, whatever it holds for you, is the first step to improving your life.
Peter
DON’T PANIC: INVESTORS ARE CHANGING THE WORLD FOR THE GOOD
#investors #stockmarket #socialproblems #purposeoriented
It’s tough to love the stock market with the volatility we’ve seen in recent weeks.
Certainly, both the market and the government have tarnished reputations, as New York Times columnist David Brooks recently pointed out.
But there are a few big-money types who have tried to use the market to solve social problems. Brooks writes that these investors have opposable minds. They are part profit-oriented – nothing is done in the markets without someone making money – and part purpose-oriented.
These investors have created organizations that look a little like businesses, a little like a social-service providers and a little like charities – or some mixture of the three, Brooks writes. His column was published in July 2015 in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Ben & Jerry’s ice cream led the first wave in this sector, Brooks says, but now you’ve got a burgeoning array of social-capitalist tools to address problems. They range from B Corporations like Warby Parker, which gives free glasses to the poor, to social impact bonds, Brooks writes.
Brooks cites a phenomenon is called impact investing, which seeks out companies that are intentionally designed to both make a profit and provide a measurable and accountable social good.
We all would like to put our hard-earned savings into companies that do good. But as a small saver, or one who is diligently saving a small portion of what he or she earns toward retirement, one has to focus on getting the most growth and income from his contributions.
For these folks, gyrations in the market, like the ones we’ve seen recently, cause great consternation. But most experts in the field would advise them not to panic. Usually, what goes down goes back up, as we have seen. You see, those with some cushion in their accounts, and with good advisers, will have raised cash by selling some of the underperforming investments, so they can use that cash to buy some great stocks cheaply when the overall market tumbles.
Remember that when the market reacts this way, an individual stock is just following the market. It does not mean the companies, or their products, are no good. Those good companies will come back because investors see discount shopping opportunities in tumbling markets.
So, if you are small, careful investor, who has put his or her money into good companies or good funds, relax. When the market drops, it’s usually a temporary glitch. Stick to your original plan, and follow the advice of the person you trust. If it helps, don’t watch the news – at least the parts about how the market is doing. If you know that your savings and investment plans are well-thought-out, cringe if you must at what’s going on, but breathe easily.
Someday, you may have enough money to make a real impact on a global problem. For now, though, secure your own nest egg little by little, and don’t let the market gyrations get you down.
Of course, there are many other worthwhile things you can do to enhance your wealth. For one of the best, visit www.bign.com/pbilodeau. If you are thinking of getting a second, part-time job to throw a little bit more toward your retirement, think a little outside the box. You just might find a way to better utilize any free time you would devote to a second job, and have a lot more fun than a second job would be.
It’s a marvelous thing that some smart, rich folks are looking for ways to solve the globe’s problems with their own money. We all may wish to be in that situation, but, for those who are not rich, it’s best to work on enhancing your own wealth FIRST, and help others do the same.
When, and only when, you’ve done that, by all means feel free to make an impact on the world. Work hard, play hard, save and invest hard. Help others, and you will be enriched. Once enriched, keep helping others. It will bring you great joy.
Peter