{"id":5958,"date":"2016-10-30T09:26:42","date_gmt":"2016-10-30T13:26:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=5958"},"modified":"2016-10-30T09:26:42","modified_gmt":"2016-10-30T13:26:42","slug":"forced-to-retire-because-youre-old","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=5958","title":{"rendered":"Forced to Retire Because You’re \u2018Old\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"download\"<\/a>Mandatory retirement is still in the workforce, and it\u2019s causing problems as people live \u2014 and work \u2014 longer.<\/p>\n

Being compelled to leave a job because you\u2019ve hit a certain age could impose significantly negative consequences on older employees, and experts say such a requirement shouldn\u2019t exist at all.<\/p>\n

Pennsylvania has a ballot question coming this November that directly touches on forced retirement, asking voters if an amendment should be created to extend the age a judge can be to serve. If approved, judges would be allowed to work until they are 75, five years past the age they\u2019re currently required to let go of the gavel.<\/p>\n

READ STORY ON MARKET WATCH<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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For a lot of workers today who hope to stay on the job well past 65, the good news is, not many jobs have a mandatory retirement age, thanks to the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 that banished the cap of 70 years old in a 1986 amendment. That act now protects anyone older than 40. The bad news? There are a few roles in public and private sectors with an enforced timeline, and the effects on those employees can be detrimental.<\/div>\n
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Experts say pushing retirement on employees borders on discrimination.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cIf you substituted any other characteristic for the word age\u2026anybody would be shocked that that kind of bias was appropriate,\u201d said Paul Irving, chairman of the Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Instead of creating a set age for retirement, employers should identify each employee\u2019s capabilities and skills at work, experts say.<\/div>\n

\u201cEveryone is entitled to be judged as an individual and everyone is different,\u201d said Laurie McCann, senior attorney with AARP Foundation Litigation. \u201cIf someone is able to do a job at 70, 80, 90, they should be able to do their job.\u201d<\/p>\n

And yet, often that\u2019s not the case. The Federal Aviation Administration requires pilots to retire at 65 and air-traffic controllers at 56. Federal law enforcement and firefighters must also retire by 57 \u2014 or they have the option to retire after 20 years of service even if they are not yet 57. States can determine a retirement age for their state and local police and firefighters, McCann said. Partners in law firms, accounting firms or doctor\u2019s offices are exempt from the act as well.<\/p>\n

Being forced to retire can have destructive effects on a person, both physically and emotionally. Full retirement caused a 15% to 16% increase in mobility issues, a 5% to 6% increase in illness, and a 6% to 9% decrease in mental health over the six years following retirement, according to a 2006 National Bureau of Economic Research report<\/a>. Such effects were magnified if that retirement was pushed on the employee, and were offset if the retiree was married, physically active or worked in some other form.<\/p>\n

Being kicked out of a job also leaves those still wanting to work in an uncomfortable situation when they apply elsewhere. Age discrimination is a huge problem in hiring, experts said. Employers are hesitant to hire older workers, partially because of concerns about cost and low productivity, according to a Stanford Center on Longevity<\/a> report.<\/p>\n

\"9781118203682.pdf\"<\/a>\u201cI\u2019m not going to sugar coat it, ageism is alive and well in the workplace,\u201d said Kerry Hannon<\/a>, an AARP jobs expert and author of \u201cGreat Jobs for Everyone 50+.\u201d<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Boomers, the oldest of which turned or are turning 70 this year, say age doesn’t equate to job performance, and experts say as this generation lives longer, their abilities are being prolonged as well. \u201cThe 76-year-old today is not the 76-year-old of the generation before,\u201d Hannon said.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Regardless, older people still want jobs, and that\u2019s a trend that\u2019s not going away any time soon, Irving said. For some, the desire to work is linked to financial reasons, but for others, it is simply wanting to stay engaged and productive. The labor-force participation of workers 65 and older is expected to increase, to 21.7% in 2024 from 18.6% in 2014, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Older women are working into their retirement years\u00a0because they don\u2019t have enough money to last or they sincerely like their jobs.<\/p>\n

While employers are figuring out how to retain or hire older employees, more seasoned workers forced into retirement or wanting to stay in the workforce should try to find a new job sooner rather than later, sharpen their skill set, update their r\u00e9sum\u00e9s with relevant information, and stay physically fit, Hannon said.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"aarp,job.expert\"<\/a>The salary may not be what it was before, but applicants can negotiate the entire compensation package, including potentially telecommuting or more vacation time. Workers should look at employers\u2019 concerns, including being overqualified or working with younger employees, and positively address them one by one, she added.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cPeople should have an opportunity to maximize their talents throughout life,\u201d Irving said. \u201cNo matter who they are, whether it is a question of race or gender or ethnicity or frankly, age.\u201d<\/p>\n

By<\/div>\n

ALESSANDRA\u00a0MALITO<\/h3>\n

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