Seniors Call on City to Fight Age Discrimination in the Workplace and Increase Support for Older Workers and Job-Seekers
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By Senior Planet June 25, 2008, 1:16 pm |
Manhattan 7-28-08
Brooklyn 6-6-08
“You can cut it with a knife!” says Mario Escalera, a music professor at a prominent New York City university. He is talking about the overwhelming sense of discrimination that many older workers experience in today's workplace.
Mario is one of a group of seniors who came to the Prospect Park YMCA last week to talk about the challenges confronting older adults as they seek to continue working or find new jobs in today's economy. The forum, organized by SeniorPlanet, was the first of three meetings set to take place this summer, leading up to a formal report which will be presented to the city council.
"Older workers have a lot to contribute to the local economy," said OATS Executive Director Tom Kamber, who moderated the session, "but policy makers need to do a better job of helping them succeed and break through the barriers of discrimination, inadequate training, and financial constraints."
One potentially big issue is the cost difference between older and younger workers. Mr. Escalera is a perfect example; as a veteran professor he makes two or three times as much as a new hire would, and he is feeling the pressure to move on. “You know the Vonage commercial where that guy keeps getting pushed off the screen?” asks Mr. Escalera, “Well I’m that guy getting pushed off.”
Lester Johnson retired from the Federal Reserve bank after 30 years of service. He faced a different challenge when he decided, after several years, to return to the workforce . “I was interviewing for a position and the woman said to me in, in essence, ‘You need to go home and sit in your rocking chair.’”
But seniors are not just sitting in their rocking chairs. They are taking a stand against discrimination and demanding that the city start taking action to improve the circumstances for older workers.
Here are four ideas that emerged for ways the City can help older workers:
Brooklyn 6-6-08
“You can cut it with a knife!” says Mario Escalera, a music professor at a prominent New York City university. He is talking about the overwhelming sense of discrimination that many older workers experience in today's workplace.
Mario is one of a group of seniors who came to the Prospect Park YMCA last week to talk about the challenges confronting older adults as they seek to continue working or find new jobs in today's economy. The forum, organized by SeniorPlanet, was the first of three meetings set to take place this summer, leading up to a formal report which will be presented to the city council.
"Older workers have a lot to contribute to the local economy," said OATS Executive Director Tom Kamber, who moderated the session, "but policy makers need to do a better job of helping them succeed and break through the barriers of discrimination, inadequate training, and financial constraints."
One potentially big issue is the cost difference between older and younger workers. Mr. Escalera is a perfect example; as a veteran professor he makes two or three times as much as a new hire would, and he is feeling the pressure to move on. “You know the Vonage commercial where that guy keeps getting pushed off the screen?” asks Mr. Escalera, “Well I’m that guy getting pushed off.”
Lester Johnson retired from the Federal Reserve bank after 30 years of service. He faced a different challenge when he decided, after several years, to return to the workforce . “I was interviewing for a position and the woman said to me in, in essence, ‘You need to go home and sit in your rocking chair.’”
But seniors are not just sitting in their rocking chairs. They are taking a stand against discrimination and demanding that the city start taking action to improve the circumstances for older workers.
Here are four ideas that emerged for ways the City can help older workers:
- Help raise awareness of age discrimination and increase enforcement of laws against age discrimination
- Support employers who hire and retain older workers. Provide training, tax incentives, and other benefits for employers who hire older workers.
- Employer/Employee agreements. Help employers create flexible arrangements with older employees so they can stay employed with reduced hours and salaries, but continued productive employment.
- Rethink Medicare. Support legislation that would cover older workers with Medicare, instead of forcing employers to pay for costly coverage.