The trials of a seasoned contractor

[ruasonid]

Just retire, no one wants experienced contractor these days when they can get more drinking buddies in


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I could go vegan?

[ruasonid]

Here in Switzerland, age discrimination is rampant !! Quite open as well, many job adverts would specify age limits! HR am told would filter on age and dismiss anyone reaching 50!! Mainly because they have to contribute higher rate for their pension which is a government obligation !
In the office people are quite open displaying age discrimination, even head of department the other day referred to anyone who is 55 as if they should curl up and just have a boring job. A Swiss lady I know who is 53 in her office overheard younger employees refer to her by saying ‘ here comes the Old One’ which was incredibly hurtful !!
It’s incredibly hard for anyone who was made redundant in their 50’s to get a new job!! And most companies would make anyone reaching 55 redundant to avoid paying the extra pension!!
It’s a disease spread like cancer here!!!
Awful!!

It's funny (but not surprising) that you mention the Swiss. In fact the incident I mentioned above is one of several that I experienced in DACH.

Yes I am over fifty, but I identify as a 27 year old out on the razz every night. Look at my beer gut - I can drink loads!

[ruasonid]

Charge more.

To cover the costs of my carer? I think the accommodation angle has lots of potential.

[ladymuck]

I am currently still under 45 so have all this to look forward to.

In ClientCo the oldies outnumber the yoof so we have much fun making cultural references they totally don't understand. The youngest on the team was born just as I was getting my first proper job!

[hairymouse]

I had a previous role in a company with a very hipster outlook. There were all kinds of diversity programs and inclusions for this and that. One day at a company wide meeting they got the oldest guy in the office (probably about 60) and forced him to announce a company program about help for the elderly. And they all sat there and laughed themselves silly while I am sure this guy was deeply humiliated. If somebody had done something similar for gays or women, they would have left the building in handcuffs.

[LadyPenelope]

I had a previous role in a company with a very hipster outlook. There were all kinds of diversity programs and inclusions for this and that. One day at a company wide meeting they got the oldest guy in the office (probably about 60) and forced him to announce a company program about help for the elderly. And they all sat there and laughed themselves silly while I am sure this guy was deeply humiliated. If somebody had done something similar for gays or women, they would have left the building in handcuffs.

Wow that is really horrible. I'm 55 and haven't experienced any overt ageism to my knowledge. I'm a BA though so tend to stick to the big corporates. Maybe being a woman has also helped, IDK.

There have been a couple of interviews where I wondered if I was screened out because I was far older than the median age of their workforce (thinking Sony, also lastminute.com), but of course no-one's been stupid enough to say so thanks to the legislation.

Some of the digital media agencies have few people past 35, then again the better ones have a range of ages, with a few 50-somethings.

London-based companies also tend to have younger workers but there are more middle-aged people in the provinces since they tend to move out when they have families.
I'd say 50-somethings stand a better chance outside of London, but it might depend on what industry sector you work in.

[NotAllThere]

Here in Switzerland, age discrimination is rampant !! Quite open as well, many job adverts would specify age limits! HR am told would filter on age and dismiss anyone reaching 50!! Mainly because they have to contribute higher rate for their pension which is a government obligation !

Also, if someone has been in a company for years, they may well have a much higher salary than someone just coming into the position would expect. At one of my clients, they recently reorganised, and only 25% of manager positions were mapped into the new structure. This of course hits the older employees more - but my boss and his boss have got new positions within the company, and they're both over 50.

If made redundant, best bet is to go contracting. I find it less ageist than permiedom.

[ruasonid]

I had a previous role in a company with a very hipster outlook. There were all kinds of diversity programs and inclusions for this and that. One day at a company wide meeting they got the oldest guy in the office (probably about 60) and forced him to announce a company program about help for the elderly. And they all sat there and laughed themselves silly while I am sure this guy was deeply humiliated. If somebody had done something similar for gays or women, they would have left the building in handcuffs.

But you have to acknowledge that the hipsters and youngsters bring something to the workplace. Late arrival (had to walk the dog), talk of last night's merry japes (cooking), funky breakfast cereals (noisily scraping the bowl at the desk), a reticence to do any actual work, and importantly, low salaries. Above all, they look good.

[LadyPenelope]

But you have to acknowledge that the hipsters and youngsters bring something to the workplace. Late arrival (had to walk the dog), talk of last night's merry japes (cooking), funky breakfast cereals (noisily scraping the bowl at the desk), a reticence to do any actual work, and importantly, low salaries. Above all, they look good.

Yes, all the yoof at one place subsisted on Huel. They also constantly went to the gym to the extent that they had separate 'leg day' and 'chest day'. They were constantly on Tinder dates also.

I do remember opening a cupboard on Day 1 and being lightly dusted with banana Huel which the young chap vacuumed off my trainers.

[Old Greg]

I DARE them to say anything.

Do you ask them to speak up as well?