They say it is illegal to not hire someone due to their age or fire someone due to their age.  Yet…that is what is being done in this country.  I am not saying that all employers are like this but there is enough of them that it is becoming common knowledge. 

I had a wonderful boss.  We worked for a drug and alcohol center and there were approximately 40 of us.  I guess you could say we were a family away from our family.  Most of us were above the age of 50 and most of us were full time employees and had health care benefits.  Because of reasons that were a bit vague, the center closed its doors.  That left most of us without jobs.  Some younger employees were hired but for the most part a good part of us were becoming unemployed and unemployable.

It has been four months since the doors closed.  Most of us still do not have jobs.  My boss was the head of a department which over saw three departments.  She is willing to work as a file clerk in a corporation that also had supported the treatment center.  No dice.  She has submitted resumes stating her willingness to work in any place where needed.  By rights, all of us employees should have first bids on any job available in the main “building”.  It doesn’t work that way. 

Did I tell you that my boss is 65?  She still has much to offer, especially with the work ethics she was brought up with and used throughout her professional life.  It is even hard to get part time jobs, if for anything else to supplement our forced retirement and having to collect social security.  I wanted to work until 66; I am three years shy of that age.  With age comes the ability to discern people, their intentions as well as their motives.  I don’t want to collect social security.  I don’t want to say, just yet, that I am retired.  I have so much to offer and I just know there is someone out there willing to allow me that priviledge. 

In the meantime, I shall continue to “pound the pavement” and look for a job that may never materialize.  Unemployment checks don’t cover everything and that means there are some bills that have to be placed on the back burner until employment is a reality. 

Because of those choices, credit will be damaged and there are some employers who have the nerve to judge a person’s capabilities according to their credit report.  In these worsening economic conditions, that is quite unfair given the regularity payments on bills were made prior to the economy “tanking.”

Time does heal all wounds and it will repair bad credit.  But in the meantime, never for one moment think that job discrimination is not a reality.  What goes around comes around and all of these young corporate leaders will learn a very hard lesson.  They are dispensible and will have to give way to someone far younger, far healthier and with very little experience.  In the meantime, I think owning a business will be a good thing.  Who knows.  Those very people who let us go may just need me to find them a job.  Wouldn’t that be a “kick.”  <grinning>