Over 60 Exchange

Why do you suppose employers want younger workers instead of older ones who have more experience?

Whatever happened to company loyalty? It seems as if you can't trust anyone anymore.

Questions like these are tough but, for a minute, look at the plight of an employer who is trying to keep his or her business afloat. Admit it. They have problems, too.

When a person works for a particular business year after year she begins to accumulate "Cost of Living" increases that are separate from raises. These are necessary because each year the cost of living tends to increase out there in society. In other words, things cost more every year. If a person makes the same salary this year that she did last year, but has to pay more for everything she buys, she is, in effect, making less now than she did a year ago. Everyone understands this, so cost of living increases generally reflect the rate of economic growth. If a worker earns a raise apart from her cost of living increase, she does even better. But raises are generally based on merit and value.

Suppose a person begins working at a company that pays her $25,000 for the first year. The next year the economic cost of living index goes up by 5%. That year, our sample employee is given a 5% cost of living increase. She's still making her original salary of $25,000, but to that salary is added $1,250, so she's now making $26,250. In year three, the cost of living raises by only 2 1/2%. So that year she earns $26,906.25. At the end of her forth year, following another 5% cost of living increase, she is earning $28,251.56. Then, at the end of year five, another 2 1/2% year, her pay stub reads $28,957.84. In other words, she is now making $3,957.85 more than she did when she started, but is still doing the same work. And she hasn't even had a merit pay raise yet, let alone a bonus for giving the company five years of her life. If this continues for another five years the company is going to be paying her a whole lot more than someone else who can come in and start over again at the original $25,000 figure.

If the job can be done by anyone who can be plugged into the system after a brief training period, the employer would be financially much better off to fire the older worker, hire a younger person, and start over again. The new worker won't have acquired the experience of the older worker, of course, but the company isn't interested in experience. They just want someone who can push the right buttons and turn the right knobs. To be honest, the younger worker may even have a better grasp of new technologies and demonstrate a more flexible attitude toward change.

The former employee is left saying, "What's the use? Nobody appreciates me!" Is it any wonder why there are so many workers out there who feel cast aside and underappreciated? To make matter worse, an employer can't really fire you because you make too much money. So they try to find an unrelated excuse. The official reason becomes one of incompetence, of making a mistake or breaking company policy. This leaves the fired employee feeling like a failure.

It's hard to live in a system where there is a pecking order - where some people are made to feel inferior to others. But, in many cases, that's the way we live today. Often, you just have to accept it and not let it get you down. But at Over60Exchange we're interested in possibilities, not liabilities. There are advantages to approaching jobs on your own terms. You don't have to feel like a victim. The secret is to begin, on day 1 of your employment, to try to make yourself indispensable. Do things better than anyone else. Find ways to improve your position. Really work at it. Learn the process better than anyone - maybe even your employer. Then, if you decide to leave, or are forced into it for any reason, you can offer someone else some real experience that a simple button-pusher doesn't have. There are businesses that are starting to think in terms of hiring experienced seniors for independent contract work. Watch for them in your field. Maybe you can turn your experience into an asset.

Sure hope this helps a little.

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Contact Jim at jim@over60exchange.com

You've talked about seniors "reinventing" themselves. What do you mean by that?

Let's break it down, word by word.

Seniors: People over the age of 60 have experienced more change than any generation of people who have ever lived upon the face of the earth. That's a bold statement, but it's true. There are people reading these words on their own personal computer who were alive to see their town's first automobile drive into town. They have seen the coming of plastic, bubblegum, Velcro, microwaves, moonwalks, space stations, multi-channel TVs, cell phones…the list just goes on and on. How do people who have seen and experienced so much manage to adjust?

Reinventing: They reinvent themselves. They discover how to do new things. They keep learning and growing. They read, converse, take classes, attend seminars, practice their new skills and delight in exploration. They are not afraid to take chances even if they make mistakes and feel foolish. They are confident in their wisdom and breadth of knowledge, so they are not threatened by young people who may know more about a particular skill or technology. Instead, they learn from them, add that new knowledge to their depth of wisdom, soak up the new information and grow even more.

Themselves: Here's the key. Growth can only come from within. It can't be forced on us by someone else. We have to want it. We are our own teacher. We may seek out specialists and guides, but the ultimate goal is to please ourselves, not anyone else.

Any seniors reading these words have already reinvented themselves to a degree. You've learned to use a computer. You've mastered the world-wide-web. You've demonstrated initiative and curiosity simply by discovering the Over60Exchange website. You have every right to be proud of yourself! Keep up the good work. You are a different person than you were even a few years ago. You have reinvented a new you.

Congratulations and enjoy the journey. It never ends!

This space is devoted to questions and comments concerning emotional, psychological and spiritual aspects of aging. Specific questions dealing with health or finances should be addressed to specialists in those fields.

Please read the following Over60Exchange Disclaimer for additional limitations.

Contact Jim atjim@over60exchange.com

Jim, you are absolutely correct! When I look back at my life and career, I see major turning points when I had to drop the old and embrace the new. Sometimes it was very difficult, especially on my family, but each time I came out better than I was before.

Here's another thing I learned. Each time I reinvented myself new opportunity doors opened to me. Even more amazing is the fact that these doors were there all along. I just did not see them until I changed my thinking and reinvented myself.

I hope people coming to the Over60Exchange understand the tremendous power being offered to them to make a positive change in their lives. In this period of great change, unrest and uncertainty, we are experiencing the greatest period of opportunities not seen since the industrial revolution. I am astounded at this fact and am overyoyed that I can participate in it.

Jim - What do you think about this bailout/rescue stuff?

Like you, I've been reading all the information I can get my hands on. I've been trying to absorb material from both the political right and left, remain as neutral as possible, talk to experts and watch all the TV pundits I can stomach. Bottom line? I don't know what the best course of action is from the Washington/political side. I see benefits and dangers in virtually every course of action. Historical "facts" and conventional "wisdom" can be summoned up to buttress every decision Washington makes.

But I do know one thing. Although none of us "little people" can change the world, we can change the way we live in it. There are a whole host of little things each and every one of us must do. We can conserve, spend less, protect what we have, find little ways to help each other, and make both personal and business decisions based on ethical and moral principles, rather than just improving our bottom line.

Don't sell any of this short! These kinds of choices give us a sense of empowerment and self-worth. They make us feel better about ourselves. They remind us that we do have power over how we choose to live our lives. Half the problem of this national malaise we find ourselves in is a feeling of powerlessness. Our worst enemy right now is petty blaming and finger pointing. It may feel good for a time and impress the folks down at the coffee shop, but it won't solve anything. Feeling sorry for yourself doesn't pay the mortgage.

There is an added advantage to doing the little, human things. Many little acts of kindness and conservation add up to big accomplishments. A few people behaving responsibly during a difficult time will set a mature example that can have repercussions far beyond a small individual sphere of influence.

Hang in there and practice the art of being human. Every crisis demands maturity and poise. We'll get through this!

Now let's hear your thoughts!