Facing Discrimination in the Work Place

Judgment: One nugget of gold for baby boomers

You might just want to read this if you are a baby boomer facing age discrimination in the work place.

"Your judgment is questionable," is a new, age discriminatory phrase or transition of terminology tactic, that is beginning to create a serious problem for baby boomers everywhere who are currently employed or seeking employment.

Baby boomers are the people who were born within the first ten to fifteen years after World War 11 ended. The world returned to a time of relative peace, with a major focus on families and family values. Thus, there were many children born all over the world, during that time.

In the year 2008, baby boomers fit into a unique age bracket, from not quite fifty years of age to not quite sixty five.

Many of the baby boomers are currently employed and want to be stay employed. Others are searching for new jobs, for many different reasons. A lot of them do not want to go into full retirement or early retirement and yet thousands of baby boomers are being forced to do just that.

Many people in this age range do not look or feel old. On the job, no one knows, cares or takes interest in how old the baby boomers are, as they do not appear or act any differently, than the majority of the younger employees heading into middle age. Many baby boomers are young for their ages, as the direct result of good health care and having focused on living well-balanced lives, free of negative or destructive vices like excessive use of alcohol and smoking.

Of course, this is not true for everyone in this category, but some people always tend to feel and act old, no matter what age they are and only live for the pleasure of the moment or for their retirement. People can be old, at any age. These are not the people who need to read this article. (Let them vegetate and retire in their own way, in peace.)

This article may prove to be one nugget, in a bucket of many nuggets of gold, intended only for the serious baby boomers who are still active and who want to remain active and desire to live their lives, more fully.

The vast majority of baby boomers want to remain employed and to stay active, for as long as possible. As a majority, they have focused on living full and happy lives and they enjoy every day of their lives, no matter what they kind of work they do or may have done in the past.

Many of them are legitimately employed and will work every possible hour or day that they are physically, mentally and emotionally able to do so. They know how to work, in contrast to younger employees, who have never learned any proper kind of work ethics and never will. (Of course, this does not include every young person, as many young people are serious about their work and have high standards in terms of work ethics.)

The problem in a nut shell lies in the reality that many of the baby boomers are gradually being phased-out and are not being allowed to work.

Baby boomers are starting to be regarded as being too old, both by employers and their younger compatriots or fellow employees. As a result, many baby boomers are being forced into premature or early retirement, whether they wish to retire or not, because of their age.

"Over fifty? Not employable! Out the door!" That is the final judgment call.

But, age discrimination is not acceptable or allowed in terms of employment law criterion.

The word age has been given a new face, another mask, a new label, ie. judgment or even more demeaning to an employee or potential employee, the label of having questionable judgment.

Is this just the new adage relating to competition? To that, one must reply, of course that is part of it. Let's face it. Jobs are scarce in many fields and technological advances have resulted in thousands of job losses, on a global level of employment.

Who gets the remaining jobs? The young employees will be the ones who gradually take over the job markets, in every country of the world. Such is the nature of employment.

Is this because of competition? There is competition on the job, every job. There always has and will be. The younger generations will fight for jobs, just like they always have and they will get the majority of the jobs. It is not as if they should not be entitled to employment, as they should be getting training for employment, particularly if they are not working already.

"Your judgment is questionable," is a kick in the face, especially for someone who has been working for many years, particularly when his or her customary work standards have been so much higher than any of the expectations being realized on today's job market.

This is doubly humiliating for any employee, when that person knows that he or she has been doing an excellent job and has always done so. More than likely, that person, as an employee or potential employee, could and would still offer a high standard in terms of actual work ethics.

Impaired judgment is a serious issue and legitimate concern in terms of actual employment, but that is when it has to do with disease or illness, incapacitation, drug or alcohol abuse. That is not the kind of judgment that is referred to here. This is not referring to illnesses like Alzheimer's disease or dementia. Nor is this referring to judgment problems related to a physical or mental instability or disability of any kind.

One might suggest that everyone over fifty years of age has a judgment problem of some kind, but is that really true? No, it is not.

The current mis-use of the word judgment is a new, unrecognized discriminatory term or phrase, that is now being employed to humiliate and phase-out workers or potential workers, who are in the baby boomer generation.

It is a masked label being applied to baby boomers and it is being used as a phase-out or de-employment tactic that immediately labels people as unsuitable for employment or essentially unemployable, regardless of education, employment history, training in any capacity, or ability, simply because of their age. It is masked age discrimination.

Terminology has a way of changing over time, so baby boomers, be warned.

This label could apply to you. When you are told that your judgment is questionable, recognize that statement for what it is. This suggests that you are being told that you are being phased out because of your age (but in a more polite way.)

That statement means, to the employer who states it, that you are getting old and his or her preference is to hire someone who is younger.

If you question your own judgment that is one thing or if there have been situations where others challenge your judgment, that is a different situation. You may need to seek medical help or advice, if your physical or mental health is deteriorating. It may or may not be. More than likely you are just fine. You know your health status better than anyone else, other than perhaps your own doctor.

But when some total stranger, who may or may not be a potential employer, confronts you with the statement, "Your judgment is questionable," don't just hang your head and wear the jacket of humiliation to please him or her. Hand it right back and suggest to that person. "You are getting closer to retirement every day, too. This jacket does not fit me. How would you like to wear it?"

Discrimination by age, under any disguise, is not acceptable, when applied to baby boomers or anyone else.

Never forget this one nugget of gold for baby boomers. You may need to save it for a later date, if you don't spend it now. 

What is the old Biblical statement?

"Judge not lest ye be judged."

Remember that every single person in the work place, will face age discrimination, at some time in his or her life, not just the baby boomers.