Can Older IT Workers 'Navigate' Ageism? (cio.com)

Slashdot reader snydeq writes, "In an industry that favors youth over experience, the best defense against age discrimination may be avoiding becoming a victim in the first place, writes Bob Violino in a report on your rights and how to deal with ageism in IT." From the article: That includes being a lifelong learner and staying on top of developments in your field at every stage of your career, and seeking out training at your workplace and on your own. Make sure your employer knows you're willing to undertake training to retain and gain knowledge and skills. It's also important to show current or potential employers that you bring value to the organization through experience and flexibility.
The article suggests bringing any concerns about ageism to your Human Resources department -- and documenting any age-related incidents. But it also quotes a labor attorney who argues "Many employers believe that older workers are reluctant to try new technologies," adding that age discrimination is more prevalent in specific industries including technology. Another labor attorney even suggests tech firms are hiring younger workers because they ask for lower salaries and less time off. He also points out that in the U.S. laid-off workers are actually entitled to a list showing the positions and ages of all other affected employees -- which in cases of age discrimination can provide grounds for a class action lawsuit.

Comments

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[rsilvergun]

You can't. Younger people can work much, much longer hours than you. That's just a fact. People slow down as they age. Experience is overrated. If I'm running a business I need 1 experienced guy to watch 10 code monkeys, 4 guys from real universities and the 1 guy from MIT that does the hard bits.

I keep seeing these stories on /. where we hold up a few top geniuses in their fields working at google and ignore the very real realities of aging. What irritates me about that is that it becomes an excuse to abandon folks in their old age. You just convince yourself that it's their fault they can't find decent paying jobs, afford retirement or even get by day to day. Mostly because nobody wants to pay to take care of people as they age.