Older workers face challenges when they look for employment

On Behalf of | Apr 20, 2019 | Age Discrimination |

Although some individuals love the work that they do and enjoy putting in hours for their employers, many Minnesota residents work so that they can put food on their tables and care for the needs and wants of their families. Often workers set an age goal for when they can say goodbye to their careers and retire in order to spend more time with their loved ones and doing what they want to do. Today, however, many Americans of traditional retirement age are reentering the workforce and facing some challenges when it comes to finding work.

Older Americans make up the fastest growing labor population in the national workforce but often face discrimination when they look for jobs and submit applications. Employers are often wary of older workers who may bring significant work experiences to their new positions because work experience can serve as the grounds for an applicant seeking a higher than normal starting wage.

Additionally, employers may have concerns about how older workers will fit into the modern and technology-driven cultures of current workforces and may have concerns about training and retaining workers who have already reached retirement age. Under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, though, older workers have some protections.

In the last decade a Supreme Court decision made it more difficult for older workers to prove that they were discriminated against because of their age; new legislation in Congress may undo this issue but it is still yet to be voted upon. Until then, older workers should fight for fair treatment at work and to be equitably considered when they apply for new jobs.