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'There is often a stigma that people in their 50s, who are out of work, are waiting it out until retirement'

There needs to be a cultural shift when it comes to employing older people, writes Tom Neville TD.

I’VE SEEN OLDER people discriminated against in the workplace countless times.

During my time as a recruitment professional, I recruited into companies all over the world and it’s the same story everywhere. Discrimination against older people is resulting in experienced people leaving the workforce without passing on vital knowledge and skills to younger generations.

From my own experience of working in recruitment, I have seen how frustrating it can be for older people attempting to re-enter the workforce. Barriers often include the perception they were too senior or they wouldn’t fit into the work culture of a younger team.

Ireland has one of the youngest populations in the European Union

There is often a stigma that people in their fifties, who are out of work, are waiting it out until retirement. I think this mindset needs to be changed. We need to promote a positive perception and image of older people in the workforce.

I recently told the Dáil that the Government needs to start formulating policies and examining procedures to involve more older people in the workforce. I want to see more experienced workers get the training and support they need to reintegrate into the workforce or to have a career change later in life.

People are often forced to leave the workforce, due to downsizing or redundancy, yet they do not want to do so. They leave the workforce with knowledge, skills and life experience that could be passed on to younger generations. There needs to be a formal process to allow this transfer of skills to happen.

People in their fifties and sixties have so much to bring to the table

Apart from experience, they bring an emotional maturity and expertise of different industries. If properly utilised this untapped resource could bring untold benefits to the Irish economy and society.

The Positive Ageing 2016 national report shows that for those in the 50+ age category, the employment rate is 63%. The employment rate is continuing to rise, which is very welcome. We are currently 2% to 3% away from full-employment.

The 65+ age group in Ireland is rising faster than anywhere else in the European Union. By 2041, 1.3 to 1.4 million people in this country will be over 65, which will be 20% to 25% of the total population.

A cultural shift

In my opinion, there needs to be a cultural shift in respect of employing older people, including those with experience who have been obliged to leave the workforce. Sometimes contracts are not renewed at the age of 65 and pensions do not start until age 66. Therefore, what can people do for that year?

Loneliness can also have a negative impact on mental health for the elderly and increase their risk of depression. I would like to see a formal programme whereby older people get the opportunity to pass on their knowledge and insights to young people who lack experience. I think this would be a win win situation.

It sees two demographics of society engaging with each other, and would benefit society as well as the workplace.

Valuable life experience

As highlighted in the National Positive Ageing Strategy, flexible retirement arrangements in the work environment can be adapted to the needs of all generations. Continuous education and training are important, as is the promotion of positive images of older people showing that they can contribute.

We can facilitate people of great experience who have left the workforce, and who may not be able to contribute to it directly, but who may be able to contribute through training and passing on vital experience to younger generations.

Life experience is a valuable asset that can be utilised and passed to the young, in a managed fashion, with economic and societal benefits. How often have we heard the young stating that they cannot get a job as they don’t have enough experience? Maybe the mentorship of an older person could give them the couple of percentage points in the interview to get that job offer.

Tom is Fine Gael TD for Limerick County.

A mandatory retirement age is discriminatory. It just doesn’t make sense in a changing Ireland>

“I won’t refer to your inexperience…”: Noonan channels Reagan after Doherty raises age in TV debate>

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28 Comments
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    Mute Jane Alford
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    Feb 6th 2017, 7:01 AM

    Every time I go for a job, despite my experience and skill set, I constantly come second to a younger male, often with far less experience. The over 50s are seen as somehow less capable than someone in their 30s. In my early career the managers had worked their way up the career ladder and were in their 40s and 50s, now you get “managers” in their 20s, many of whom are really uncomfortable with having much older people working with/for them. It’s this cultural shift in thinking that only people in their 20s and 30s are of any value that needs to change.

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    Mute Gerard J. Hannan
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    Feb 6th 2017, 7:18 AM

    I am 50+. 2 years ago I completed a Degree in Liberal Arts at UL, and last year completed a Masters Degree in International Entrepreneurship Management at UL, I apply for jobs but invariably receive “not a good fit for our team” replies. This article should start with “once upon a time” like all good fairy tales. The reality is at 50+ in Ireland we are dinosaurs hoping a meteorite won’t hit when it is already on the way. The best advice I can get from state agencies is have I considered doing another Masters with Springboard taking the tab for fees? The Springboard students, especially at UL, that one-stop bargain basement for degree shoppers, are, regardless of academic ability, bums on seats destined to fill classrooms along with low achieving but moneyed students who always get the rich man’s degree after terms of sex, drugs, rock and roll, plagiarism, absence, disengagement and partying. Give me a break.

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    Mute Mary Murphy
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    Feb 6th 2017, 7:40 AM

    Gerard don’t for a minute think this TD cares about over fifties working. His only concern is the pensioner’s of the near future and how to keep them. Worried the state won’t be able to afford our aging population, and how to get them to keep slaving away.

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    Mute Gerard J. Hannan
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    Feb 6th 2017, 7:48 AM

    So true. Maybe the day will soon dawn when our Government will propose paying fees to Universities instead of pensions for Over 50s to complete pointless degrees in F##kology that will bide our time until we are dumped into the pit.

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    Mute Cathal O'Sullivan
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    Feb 6th 2017, 8:48 AM

    Can you do me a favour and explain what is involved in international entrepreneurship management? I’m a bit confused

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    Mute Ger Healy
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    Feb 6th 2017, 9:04 AM

    Can you do me a favour a tell me what’s involved in a game recommended engine? And how it is going to be of use to society?

    21
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    Mute Gerry Ryan
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    Feb 6th 2017, 9:05 AM

    Anger is the enemy. Hard to remain positive but anger is obvious and threatening.

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    Mute Mr Snuffleupagus
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    Feb 6th 2017, 11:04 AM

    @Gerard J. Hannan: Why not go self employed?

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    Mute Ger Healy
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    Feb 6th 2017, 9:27 AM

    The rise of ageism It is an unacceptable phenomenon in today’s society. People over fifty are blatantly and systemically being purged from the workforce. Reasons like too qualified or  too  expensive are used to justify this. This growing cohort of people are suffering. There are huge mental health consequences for able bodied and experienced over fifties being put on the scrap heap. Something has to be done. Companies do not actively encourage older people to apply for jobs but will aggressively target them as consumers.  I think this this is the key to combatting ageism where if a company expects older people to be their customers and be consumers of their products, they should also make sure that age profile is also reflected in their workforce.

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    Mute Gabrielle McCabe
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    Feb 6th 2017, 10:23 AM

    Brilliant article, Tom. I work for a state body and recently recommended a 50 year old friend for a job in my section, who used to be my boss in another job and who has now been made redundant. He was turned down precisely because they said he was too experienced and probably would not work for the low salary currently offered. He is on the dole and really depressed and of course would welcome the chance to keep working. I am so annoyed – they offered it to a 22 year old straight out of college with only a few months experience. No doubt she will move on when she gets a chance, whereas my friend has no choice. Brilliant chance for her, but really feel for my friend.

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    Mute Rónán O'Suilleabháin
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    Feb 6th 2017, 12:59 PM

    The overqualified too experienced argument is certainly a cop out for ageism, it seems only natural to me that your salary would follow a curve over the years, and that people would approach the final third of their career bringing considerable experience with perhaps a little less responsibility.

    With mortgages tapering off most would be happy to step down a level and do a job that’s well within their comfort level really well.

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    Mute Brendan Hughes
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    Feb 6th 2017, 9:07 AM

    Nothing to do with age or experience. Younger people are cheaper to employ.

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    Mute Jane Alford
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    Feb 6th 2017, 9:31 AM

    The number of times I’ve been pulled in on a VERY short term contract to finish off/fix an application that a younger (cheaper) programmer has failed to finish, and/or get working during a long term contract, I’ve lost count. If they had taken me on in the first place they would have had quality and faster… It’s exasperating!

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    Mute John003
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    Feb 6th 2017, 10:48 AM

    @Brendan Hughes For the large companies and multinationals they only want to employ millenniums …..Many have a policy to reduce their average age and and change gender profiles…..Nothing to do with money….

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    Mute TellingItAsItIs
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    Feb 6th 2017, 11:06 AM

    At last. A very interesting thread. Ageism is rife in this country. When one reaches 50 they are cast on to the ‘surplus to requirements’ pile. The fact is that most people these days will work until they are almost 70, unless they’ve been fortunate enough to have had a very cushy number in the civil service or were earning truckloads of cash. 50 is the new 40 folks!

    42
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    Mute Colette Farrelly
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    Feb 6th 2017, 9:14 AM

    I am in my sixties and have found a suitable job four years ago, well paid, challenging and above all enjoyable. The secret is – imho – finding self employment in a niche that matches our individual skill sets.
    We have so much to bring to the table and most importantly – working keeps us in a younger mindset.

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    Mute Jane Alford
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    Feb 6th 2017, 9:40 AM

    I tried self-employment, I had dozens of clients. They loved my work, wanted more of it. In terms of number of clients I was very successful, in terms of income I failed miserably. The problem was, getting paid for the work. The largest clients were the worst. Pursuing for money in the courts is a losing battle. The defendants just delay until you run out of money. I had one client who owed me €5000, was offered €50. This country is crap at defending the interests of small businesses.

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    Mute John Flood
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    Feb 6th 2017, 1:07 PM

    I’m 68 would love a job!

    26
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    Mute Pat Redmond
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    Feb 6th 2017, 2:36 PM

    The best employees in our large company were the return to work women in their 50s ! The HR department took them in reluctantly but they were for free under FAS ! All were soon flabbergasted at how well they fitted in. They were mature, diligent , punctual, loyal, keen to learn and even looked after the young ones with well chosen words of wisdom after one of life’s knocks hit them. They were great fun too.

    23
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    Mute Con Stable
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    Feb 6th 2017, 12:13 PM

    It’s all about wages. The older applicants may have the skill-set and decades of experience but the younger applicants are prepared to work for a lot less and even for nothing when it comes to ‘interns’. The Irish employer class, represented by: IBEC, ISME and the CFI and the IFA, are a corrupt lot; they will pay the minimum pay rates unless forced otherwise by Trade Union membership and will exploit foreign workers even more so.

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    Mute John003
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    Feb 6th 2017, 12:41 PM

    @ConStable That may be true for smaller Irish companies…. For the larger ones and multinationals its all about employing millinimums and gender balance…..Even candidates over 35 would not get an interview….Not about saving money

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    Mute Mercurial One
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    Feb 6th 2017, 3:57 PM

    Time to introduce a proper Universal Living Wage for all unemployed over 50, I think.

    15
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    Mute Lionel Lyster
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    Feb 6th 2017, 5:24 PM

    Interesting article. We attract all these IT/ Social media companies who correctly locate here to take advantage of our corporate tax rate,yet these companies as highlighted recently where the average age of a worker is 28-34, those over 50 have no chance whatsoever. I think these companies should give something back to society by employing mature staff who have excellent value to add

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    Mute Scundered
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    Feb 6th 2017, 11:03 AM

    Creating your own source of employment is the only way to ensure you avoid this scenario in the future, plus there is something very inspiring of being responsible for your own survival/salary, gives you confidence that you can do anything you want to, if you want it hard enough.

    9
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    Mute Jane Alford
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    Feb 6th 2017, 1:12 PM

    Getting paid is the problem. You can create work for yourself, but you also have living expenses that need to be paid.

    24
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    Mute John O'Driscoll
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    Feb 8th 2017, 5:08 PM

    @Scundered: And as a self-employed person look forward to loads of VAT audits, zero illness benefit, zero dole, zero state support, loads of H&S audits, loads of P35 audits, loads of employee pension audits, loads of ”Compu’er sez NAOW”. Sure the good news is anyone becoming self-employed for the first time at age 50 in Ireland is unlikely to last very long before shuffling off the old mortal coil and spark plugs due to stress, poverty, ill-health and general pissed0-ffedness.

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    Mute Kenny Magee
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    Feb 12th 2017, 2:14 PM

    Not much work for over fiftes in Donegal just endless courses and schemes.Firms just don’t want to know,your are just left in limbo if you become unemployed .

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    Mute John O'Driscoll
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    Feb 8th 2017, 5:06 PM

    18 poxy years of sitting on yer hole because of ageism and a bankster-busted economy is a long ‘wait to retirement’ from a redundancy at age 50.

    1
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