If she can hold down the position of the United States Secretary of State at her age, will someone please tell me why I am being put out to grass because eighteen months ago in a restructuring of the organization, some stupid person copied and pasted from another company's HR policy that people like me have to retire when they hit a certain age The policy, according to some, is 'not written in stone' but that is of no consolation to me as I reluctantly count down the months, days, hours, minutes and seconds until the 31 December 2012. Oh make no mistake, I have my feelers out and there have been several discussions but after almost nine years of blood, sweat and tears together with a passion and love for my job, as the time to clearing my desk and shutting up shop grows nearer, my heart sinks deeper and deeper.
I am sure some people would love to be in my position but I am not ready to sit on a beach and toast my toes - I can do that in my spare time!
You may all be in for one long moan between now and December- either that or an interesting narrative as to how the red tape works!
Leaving a comment here hoping you can connect to me from here...not sure why it isn't working!!!
ReplyDeleteNot fair Bee, not fair at all.
ReplyDeleteI have no desire to be put out to pasture either.
Anna :o]
Am glad someone's on the same page! The reality is that I don't 'have' to - it's the head of my department's call.
DeleteIn our country they retire people and hire younger because they are so much cheaper. They even stress the health insurance less. It is about the money and not the usefulness. Which ends up hurting efficiency of course.
ReplyDeleteWe also have a very high rate of people tat take early retirement and then turn around and charge high fees as a consultant doing what they did before they retired. Obviously you have a huge amount of experience putting together conferences and events. Go independent.
they don't necessarily do that here with younger people. There are more event coordinators on this island than there are bananas!
DeleteYou never know--an even BETTER job might be out there waiting for you, but you'd never search for it without being "helped" by your current employer. That's what happened to me two years ago, so I know it's possible.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad it worked out for you - I am hoping that there is a better job out there - there are plenty of people rooting for me so I am fortunate in that regard but it's the way it's been done that has really disturbed me.
DeleteI agree, that is not fair...age does not matter!
ReplyDeleteAge is just a number but there's much more to this than I can write here. Until I have gone that is!
DeleteNo it is not fair but you know what I started to feel invisible in the workforce from about 40 onwards and that was some years ago now. The worlds population is aging and no country can afford to have their older workers not working for as long as they can. It will be a mistake in your company's HR policy that comes back to bite them in a few years time. Just remember when the door closes another will open and I bet it will be way better in your next job. My father worked into his 70s and I jsut read of a woman that is a checkout operator in a supermarket and is 81 and another teacher who is still teaching fulltime and is 76. I am in Australia but there is age prejudice here as well. by the way I found your link on Kathy G's blogroll. I am trying to find more blogs for people over 50 - can't seem to find to many in my own country, lol.
ReplyDeleteHello Lilly! Thank you so much for coming to my page. The sad thing is that although it is the policy, it's there for those who want to. Those who want to stay on can do so providing their department is not being dismantled or that one's job is not made redundant!
DeleteI do believe you will come out of this on top one way or another Bee. Age is nothing, you are only as old as you feel is my belief.
ReplyDeleteWould you believe I have got the book you are presently reading?
Well. I'm a week late on this and I'm sorry for that. I had no idea you were looking at this so soon. I promise I will not be a cheering section for your retirement. If I had felt about my job the way you feel about yours, I'd still be working and loving it. If there is no logical reason for retiring, can you challenge the policy? I'm sure you have already checked this out but I have to throw it out there anyway. It really makes no sense to force retirement on anyone if they are performing their job well.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, can you retire and then continue to work in the position on a contract basis? We do that here. I could have done that. I was just so needy to retire that it wasn't an option.
Wishing you well and hope you retire with your retirement check and a check from another job coming in. Financially, that would be a boon.