YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – I have never seen so many job-wanted signs! My business clients all complain they cannot find qualified workers.
Much of this of course is attributable to declining birth rates. Also, the COVID epidemic and generous unemployment insurance did cause many folks to leave the workforce or seek early retirement.
However, with the advent of 8% inflation, people are starting to come back – and many of these folks are older – as witnessed by the workers one sees in their 70s and up working at retail establishments and grocery store check-out counters.
For employers, older workers present both big advantages and certain challenges.
On the one hand, experience is valuable in any field. Moreover, many baby boomers were raised with stories of the Great Depression that instilled a strong work ethic.
On the other hand, older workers become ill more often and some of us are slower off the mark in learning new skills. When the economy is weak, it is undoubtedly tempting for bosses to get rid of an older, more expensive worker to be replaced with a younger, cheaper one.
Be careful. What does an employer have to know about the rights of older workers?
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act prohibits employers of 20 or more from discriminating against workers age 40 and older in: hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, training and fringe benefits.
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