Retirement Laws for Older Workers
Ageism is a hot topic, and I preface this that ageism goes MANY ways not just young to old. However, most content out there deals with those who are older being discriminated against. This post on Forbes.com addresses an upcoming February article in the AARP magazine.
There are certainly lots of issues that we run into when looking at the HR mechanism within a company. For example, what are the implications of a lawsuit won by someone who proves age discrimination? Do companies pull back from hiring older workers? Similar questions can be asked on other protected classes. Does the law actually start to incentivize more subconscious discrimination? Do we hire less from protected classes because of fear about what to do if we need to let someone go for performance issues?
These are real questions and the answers are not black and white. In the end though, we are usually better off looking at meritocracy as a way to reward top performers and release non-performers. The challenge then comes back to us as individuals to keep our skills honed AND to reconsider what we deserve (perhaps recognizing that we may not be as competitive and therefore make it known that we would be willing to accept “less” or be re-trained into a lower paid position in order to protect ourselves long term).
Forbes Article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/baldwin/2020/01/12/retirement-laws-to-help-older-workers/#408004a56f41
AARP Article: https://www.aarp.org/work/working-at-50-plus/info-2019/age-discrimination-in-america.html
Sunday Seniors: Lebanon music class brings together multiple generations
Liz Sauchelli wrote about an intergenerational program “Music Together Generations,” a weekly program that takes place at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Aging Resource Center Annex in the Upper Valley Senior Center in Lebanon. This New Hampshire program creates an atmosphere that encourages parents to bring children to hear / see seniors playing music. Through music they get different generations coming together and getting “silly.”
We’re presenting a Legacy seminar tomorrow in the Monroe Senior’s Center and it embodies this principle - there is SO MUCH purpose, opportunity and meaning available to us when we realize how much time we get back in retirement and how much wisdom we have acquired over our lifetimes!
Local Article on The Sandwich Generation
This article in the Stamford Advocate by Christine M. Tenore helps define a large population often characterized as the “sandwich generation” - those taking care of people on both sides of their lives (an aging elder and/or their own children).
What’s important in this article is the idea that at any given time we may find ourselves in more of a caregiver role, but if we do some basic planning we might be in a better place to take those duties on with less impact on our normal day to day lives. One thing we always tout in Generation Bridge is the idea that planning and preparation are not just ways to feel more secure in our “less” stressful life, but that it will help us maintain control and reduce panic decisions made when life inevitably “happens.”
She’s a lawyer and has likely had countless customers come in with real life situations that inform her opinion(s). When we are curious about something, it’s usually a good idea to reach out to people who have experience and wisdom that we simply don’t have when entering into a new territory. When in doubt - ask :)
