Emma Soames An accountant called Martin Lloyd Penney did an experiment in which he and his daughter – 22 and only halfway through her accountancy training – applied to the same job agencies. She was inundated with job offers and interviews while he was repeatedly told he was “over qualified” or “too experienced”.
Lady Turner pointed out that age discrimination magnifies other problems. Older jobseekers suffer a severe blow to their confidence which can lead to depression: not only have they lost their jobs but because they cannot find other work they face a bleak old age that will hit them far too early.
Saga research describes an emerging life-stage that begins in the mid-to-late fifties, and can extend well beyond 65. We have been dubbed the “part-irees”. It shows that almost all (97 per cent of over-50s) reject the idea of working doggedly until state retirement age, and prefer to scale back their working hours before this time. The average age at which they aspire to shift away from full-time work is 57.
However, our predominant desire is to diversify, not just to down-size. Seven out of 10 (69 per cent) want to participate in some voluntary work as well, and almost two-fifths (38 per cent) of today’s over-50s ideally want to continue doing some paid work past state retirement age. In addition, more than a third (34 per cent) of retired people say they would prefer to be doing some paid work. Other research across the Atlantic clearly shows that the healthiest 65- to 70-year-olds are those who are still working flexibly or part time. They are mentally more alert and physically fitter as well.
So Lady Turner is right – to be old and looking for work is a disability. And depriving many more older people of the chance to be re-employed is one of the cruellest aspects of the recession. If any good can come of this, it is that it has shown just how deep-seated age discrimination is in the workplace.
Of course the solution everyone favours is abolishing the default retirement age. That is quite right, but it must be replaced with some other way that allows employers and employees to agree a retirement without resorting to cruel traditional ways of performance management. In my experience it is very rare for people in their sixties not to want to change their working pattern – in fact it won’t be long before employers will be desperately looking for ways to keep them on. So negotiation is perfectly possible and, again, our research shows that we all favour a gradual retirement: a walk through the dunes rather than a jump off a cliff.
On the eve of its relaunch as Age UK, Age Concern has come out with figures that demonstrate just how powerful we are as voters over 55. More than a third of voters in more than 350 constituencies will be over 55 at the forthcoming election – this is nearly 100 more than at the last election. Remember that? Our “grey votes” really matter now.
Aside from the obvious joys of bus passes I am collecting a list of good things about hitting 60, now that I am experiencing it for myself.
1) It is almost impossible to look 60 any more as long as you dye your hair and sit up straight. This may have something to do with our image of people of 60 from our youth – even people of 80 no longer look like that.
2) I sense a slight increase in the respect that I am granted – people actually seem to listen to what I say sometimes, which is a happy if not indeed remarkable state of affairs. Of course this must include those polite people who sometimes offer me their seats on the Tube, although naturally I am very depressed when they do because it may mean that 1) is not true.
3) Our taste is formed by now and I have utter confidence in my choices – even when they turn out to be wrong. I no longer worry about my taste in friends, music and other external trappings, although I must exclude clothes from this – I still mind enough about what I look like to spend far too much on my wardrobe.
4) If I heard a wolf whistle now (as if!) I would assume it was someone calling their dog. The age of invisibility is here to stay and there’s no point in whingeing about it. In fact someone tried to chat me up the other day and I kept looking over my shoulder to see who this stranger was attempting to engage in conversation.
5) There is absolutely no danger of being kidnapped for the White Slave Trade. This has probably been true for a very long time, but it’s taken me this long to realise it.