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Fighting AgeismEpisode 6

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Maybe you've lost your job. Maybe you're justworried about it. Or you just feel subtle pressure tostep aside and let the young people move on up. Canyou be fired because you make more money than ayounger colleague? Do you have to laugh along withthose digs about your age? What's against the lawand what isn't? And what can be done if you thinkyou are a victim of age discrimination?

Robert Lipsyte sits down to get the answers from theexperts. Vincent J. Roscigno, Professor of Sociology atOhio State University and author of The Face ofDiscrimination: How Race and Gender Impact Work and

Episode 6TranscriptEpisode 6 Credits

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Season 2Boomer Marriage

Generation Gaps

Caregiving

Dancing with Doctors

Money is Love

Fighting Ageism

Plastic Surgery

Boomer Dating

Spirituality and Aging

The Science of Happiness

The New Face of Alzheimer’s

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Discrimination: How Race and Gender Impact Work andHome Lives, describes the emotional toll on olderemployees who get laid off. Michael C. Harper,Professor of Law at Boston University and a leadingauthority on labor law and employmentdiscrimination, argues in favor of stronger legalprotections for vulnerable older workers. AndJacqueline James, research director of the Center forWork and Family at Boston College, speaks up forwhat's great about seasoned employees: loyalty,reliability, good networks and work ethics.

Next, Lipsyte talks with TV legend Phil Donahue.Donahue fills us in on his latest project: hisdocumentary about wounded veterans of the war inIraq. The twenty-time Emmy Award winner says hedoes not miss the spotlight. Why? Because "it's nicenot to have to jump out of a cake every day." Andwhat's not-so-great about getting older? His hearingisn't what it used to be, Donahue confesses. Plus "it'sharder to get out of the car."

Then Life (Part 2) hears from author and ColumbiaUniversity Professor of English and ComparativeLiterature Edward Mendelson who explains thedangers of labeling older people-and why he findsone term of derision to be particularly offensive.

Related Topics: Fighting Ageism

Want more? We Recommend: Vincent Roscigno, THE FACE OF DISCRIMINATION(Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.)

Jacquelyn B. James, Ph.D., THE CROWN OF LIFE(Springer Publishing Company)

Edward Mendelson, THE THINGS THAT MATTER(Anchor)

Comments

AGREESubmitted by Criminal Defense Attorney Minneapolis (not verified) on Thu, 11/18/2010 -8:23am.Nice topic on this site. I've been reading all of your comments. I agree of that. Ijust experience also lost a job because of bankruptcy.

Brain Exercise

Mechanics of Aging

Controlling the Boomer Belly

Encore Careers

Purpose Prize Winners

Should I Stay or Should I Go

Ethnicity, Race & Aging

Boomer Grandparenting

Survive and Thrive

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just experience also lost a job because of bankruptcy.

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It's true. Ageism it a bigSubmitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 11/03/2010 - 6:38am.It's true. Ageism it a big problem in today's society. Especially with people'sworking years no lasting longer and with more elderly people in the work force.

Dr Roscigno speaks very convincingly on this topic.

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CommentSubmitted by carnival glass (not verified) on Thu, 10/14/2010 - 1:31pm.I agree with it though, thanks for informing us.

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Great informative post thanksSubmitted by Papermoz (not verified) on Thu, 09/23/2010 - 12:09am.Great informative post thanks for sharing.....A Level Coursework | Admission essay

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I agree. Particularly aboutSubmitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 08/24/2010 - 9:51am.I agree. Particularly about the required age-revealing information in some (butinterestingly, not all) online applications. If some employers can choose not toask for age-revealing information (other than if you are of legal age to work),why can't all? It seems to me that if revealing other possibly discriminatoryinformation such as race or sex is optional for the applicant prior to an interview,then it should also be not required to reveal date of high school graduation ormore than 10 years of job history, for example, prior to an interview. And inorder to prevent across-the-board discrimination against anyone who does notvolunteer this information, I would even suggest perhaps no age-revealingquestions should even be asked prior to an in-person interview. I do notunderstand why I do not hear more about this in the press. I also wonder whyI'm not hearing about more older unemployed workers writing theircongresspeople about this.

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True EnoughSubmitted by Law Essays (not verified) on Tue, 05/25/2010 - 3:35am.We cannot deny that companies would always want younger employees, like

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We cannot deny that companies would always want younger employees, likethey always wanted new software and new way of marketing.

Most of them make good use of old people on the management side. I don'tknow how to make stand on this since both parties have strong argument.

However, I am planning to make an in-depth study on this.

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Ageism in hiringSubmitted by tom reuel (not verified) on Fri, 05/21/2010 - 6:39pm.I am an unemployed staffing and HR professional. The laws need to cover on-lineapplications that force "applicants" ( you are simply trying to submit your resumehowever) to tell how old they are. For instance, when filling out theseapplications to submit your resume, they will not ask how old you are, but willask what year you graduated from College. You cannot click the submit buttonand have it complete the transaction if you leave this blank. You cannot lie aboutthe year either because you are also forced to sign an " I agree" or "disagree"clause that states any mis-representation is cause for immediate cancellation of"application" or dismissal from position hired for.Also, where age is concerned, asking for GPA is discriminatory as well. I'm asmart individual but was a terrible student way back when. For older applicantsit is essentially meaningless. This needs to be corrected as well.

Any thoughts?

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I agreeSubmitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 05/06/2010 - 3:52pm.The older worker in many cases "DO NOT" make more money.....younger peopleare being hired making more money, because they demand more money nowdays, that previous workers.

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AgeismSubmitted by Ryan Meharg (not verified) on Wed, 11/25/2009 - 9:11am.Getting fired because of your age is total bull. This is basically the same as losingyour job because of your race, religion, sex, etc. Stronger laws would providesome much needed support against this but it would not change the fact thatolder people will still be discriminated against. It takes along time for society, ingeneral, to change the way they think about things like racism or other forms ofdiscrimination. In some cases it will never change. Ageism, although similar toother forms, has its differences as well. It will, at some point, affect everyone,not matter race, sex, or religion. Because of that, it is important we give it moreattention and figured out the best way of preventing it.

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I like his words: "when youSubmitted by essay help (not verified) on Wed, 11/11/2009 - 10:07pm.I like his words:"when you have less time to loose you've got more world to win" He is totallyright.

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getting firedSubmitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 10/22/2009 - 1:36pm.I am 57 and was recently laid off by a huge, profitable law firm. In my satelliteoffice, I and four others were laid off -- ALL WOMEN. Three of us are over 55, oneis African American and the other was recently out on disability and had justreturned to work the week before. This SO still goes on!

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getting firedSubmitted by SCoppola (not verified) on Thu, 10/22/2009 - 9:01am.I'm 58 and I was recently laid off by a Publishing concern,and am not sure if Iwas chosen because of my age.....(I was one of 18 let go)

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Women at work/and now SENIOR CITIZENSubmitted by carol stanton (not verified) on Thu, 10/22/2009 - 8:53am.The older worker in many cases "DO NOT" make more money.....younger peopleare being hired making more money, because they demand more money nowdays, that previous workers...alsowhen your an older worker and a woman, they use the excuse you are makingyour limit...one time I did not get a raise in 3 yrs, but my supervisor, not only gotlarge raises, and $50,000. bonus during this same period. I know because Itransfrerred to another department "ACCTG" and I had to pack up the controlersdesk when she left...and I saw the paper work. So it DOES go on...its not fare.While I was working hard, the supv. would go out for lunchs, come in late, gogolfing, and get tuns of perks...This goes on rampid in the Insurance industry...and my guess is in all industries.My husband was disabled, I had to retire early to care for him. We now onlyhave our Soc Sec to fall back on. We have no savings, no 401K, no pensions,nothing. I worked my hole life, got my producers license, which i was held backfrom using in 2 companies I worked for, and they only used my talents for backup, assistant work. Because I was good at getting the job done. Maybe thatwas my fault...but I was raised to get the job done and work hard... Which is

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was my fault...but I was raised to get the job done and work hard... Which isexcactly what I always did.For what....I have nothing now.Ms. StantonOak Lawn IL

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