Bosses Want Hard Workers - So They're Hiring Older People With a Stronger Work Ethic (profit, fund)
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Back to my question - what have you done for yourself? Getting out of the public sector takes effort.
As opposed to being good at the job I have?
It'll be sad when the plqce closes.
But at this rate in 5 years that is going to happen. The people over 50 are sticking it out until retirement and I guess they will turn the lights out. Everyone else in their 40s and younger are actively searching for new job and we get like 3 unqualified people apply to replace them.
OP is in public sector.
The real world is a different ball game.
A company purpose is generally to create revenue.
I work for a college that trains people to work at those companies. They are crying to us to send them workers at the same time they ironically poach our instructors. We have no one to teach the classes.
Why is it on him to change the dynamic? Why can't the company offer raises in accordance with inflation and extra work? .
Because the company is not a benevolent beast. It is instead a collection of people who are concerned about their bonus and salary at the end of the day.
Hence, your career growth is in your own hands.
But at this rate in 5 years that is going to happen. The people over 50 are sticking it out until retirement and I guess they will turn the lights out. Everyone else in their 40s and younger are actively searching for new job and we get like 3 unqualified people apply to replace them.
Your workplace sounds almost like mine. Except we had the over 55 crowd leave in droves (many were married and just early retired since they have dual income households). It's us mid-40s to mid-50s single folks who are sticking around. We aren't even really replacing people. We are hiring consultants and temps (who are just out of college and need a lot of hand holding). I give my workplace a year before we run out of money and the place collapses in on itself. I don't think we will ever close, but I foresee the place being taken over by an association management company and there being no staff. They will save a lot on costs, but what we offer customers (members) will be a whole lot less than what they are used to. I too will be sad when it closes. I used to love my job, a lot. I really believed in the mission too since we were helping people advance their careers and those people, in turn, helped others (usually the less fortunate).
The older generation came of age at a time when pensions were still at least a conceivable possibility. Millennials have known from the getgo that long-term loyalty would not be rewarded in the same way it was for previous generations.
If you want it bad enough, you can likely make it happen.
I worked for a hospital system for six years. Terrible benefits. I hated the last six months or so of the job to the point that it was really impacting my mental health and I was drinking a lot more.
I've known for years that pensions are basically unavailable in the private sector. I've made above average money for the last five years or so, but I didn't make above $45k until I was 28, except for one year. From the trajectory that I was on, it's unlikely that I'd ever be able to save enough in the private sector to get the cashflow equivalent of a typical IT government pension at a safe withdrawal rate.
I ended up accepting a position at a county government in North Carolina. I've been there for three months now. I took a demotion in title and a pay cut coming from the private sector, but I wish I made the jump years ago. No job is perfect, and there's some typical big organization red tape (but it's far, far less than the hospital system), but it's probably the best job I've ever had.
I have a lot of flexibility during the day (mowed for about forty minutes this morning) between meetings and work items. I get some pension vesting after five years. At 25 years of service (which would make me 61), I can retire with full pension benefits plus lifetime medical. You won't find anything like that in the private sector now. The county puts 8% of my salary into a 401k - it's not actually a "match" because I don't have to contribute a dollar. The insurance is better than anywhere else I've ever worked. I'm on an injectable medical therapy that is about $300/month cheaper after tax - that's most of the salary difference right there. There are fourteen "leave" days, twelve sick days (there is no maximum and these can be used to either retire early or enhance pension benefit), and thirteen holidays (though seven occur between Veteran's Day and New Year's - meh). The combined leave difference between the county and hospital system is about three weeks.
What's hilarious is at the same job grade, the county government actually pays quite a bit better than the hospital system. It's not the best pay I've had at that grade in the private sector, but it's competitive enough to make the pay cut worth it, considering the benefits.
Well, eventually those older workers will retire and the employers will have to live with the next generation. To the extent that the claim is true, the situation is temporary.
By that time, those younger workers will be older. Companies then may switch to middle age workers. Of course, there will always be senior workers among us.
Whenever the next generation of young workers who are hard working comes along, this situation of preferring older ones will subside. It's not the age, per se. It's the work ethic.
This is good news for older workers. One reason for seniors having a better work ethic, besides their generation generally being so, is that they aren't looking to climb the career ladder. They're working for the here and now. Also, they don't have kids at home, many don't have spouses, etc. So seniors have more time to devote to work.
This gives me hope for finding a part time job after I move. I want a part time job for extra money, to add more structure to my life, and because I miss the satisfaction of doing a good job. Also more social interaction would be a plus, if that's part of the job. I may not be able to find something acceptable, though. I'll see.
As an employer I have noticed young people are more worried about being able to play on their phone all day and still get paid for doing a job they are neglecting. For many years now they think it is their right to be on their phone all day. I have proven several wrong when I fired their lazy BLEEPS.
To be fair young people have always expected something for nothing but it has gotten WAY worse over the last 30 years. This is in general and of course there are exceptions.
I see this all the time in retail and service jobs. The upside is that people are starting to look at adults with disabilities to fill some of these jobs that those on their cell phones cannot handle. I am also seeing some success moving people from "welfare to work", which is a real plus, but those are older workers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ncole1
Well, eventually those older workers will retire and the employers will have to live with the next generation. To the extent that the claim is true, the situation is temporary.
That is probably the reason employers are spending the money to mechanize their operations.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ersatz
I know multiple people who established successful businesses because they would rather be the boss than be bossed.
That might work for a minority, but far too many younger people don't realize that being the boss is not an easy job. Most that want to be the boss from the get-go are not being realistic, and can barely handle their entry level jobs.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Esacni
"Older workers with a strong work ethic" = desperate middle aged - seniors with financial issues.
Not at all. Most of the prior generations actually take pride in their work, as they were taught that doing a good job at any job was important. They realized it took experience to be the boss. With so many job openings not being good enough for the younger generation, the continued list of openings entice older workers to go for it! Here, they have tables with applications and open interviews, so not that busy and see it, apply and you're working. I like older workers, as they don't put the cans on top of the bread in the bag. In the 1990s, service was good as we were in the Tucson area, and many of the workers were retired or retirement age.
Quote:
Originally Posted by banksock
My years of working various jobs i worked with some of the laziest older folks ever.
Younger people will quit a job in flash if they are not feeling it.
And quitting because they aren't "feeling it" is exactly the issue with the lack of responsibility that makes many older workers attractive to employers. I always wonder how they can afford to just walk away, as that was not a thing when I was working.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AnOrdinaryCitizen
Those seniors with financial issues probably are the ones who have to keep working on to support the lazy young 20s, 30s who still stay at home to just play games on the PC and don't care to look for a job, as long as they have their parents to support them financially. It's a tough choice. Being parents, you feel guilt in your heart to kick them out because there are so many bad things out there. And your children could be worse too. Damn if you do. Damn if you don't (kick them out). Others or even you blame yourself that it's your fault to enable them to be lazy.
Not all young people are like that though. I have two children. They are so opposite. I feel very happy and proud to see the one who works hard and is successful. He's independent, living on his own and comes to visit me every weekend. I feel so sad and worried about the one who had/has jobs off and on and still stays home at his 30s. When he works, has some money, he spends extravagantly on clothes, shoes, perfumes and gadgets ... (for what? to show off?) He has a big loan and debts in his credit cards. He asked me to help to pay for his credit cards, I told him: "I helped you before. You need to find a job, work hard, save, be frugal a bit and pay your debts. I can only help you by letting you to live at home; you don't have to pay for rent and food. That's a big help already." And now he has a good job. I hope he will work hard and to become mature and pay his debts and have better life. All I can do is to learn to be patient, firm, to pray and wish him all the best.
There are always hard-working and lazy employees among the old and young.
About the younger people would/will quit a job in flash if they are not feeling it, that is because they have their parents to support them financially. They don't care. If they did not have food to eat, a roof above their head, they would have to keep their job and look for a different job at the same time. They would have to learn to be patient, to have good work ethics and to be humble. Nowadays, many young adults think they are entitled for all the goods from parents and employers to offer to their faces without being working hard.
Your post was just so darn good, I had to quote it. I keep seeing posts where the younger ones want the older ones to retire as they have the good jobs. I think they have not stopped to realize just how long that older one had worked to be in what they perceive as good jobs. I think the phrase "paying your dues" would be wasted on them though!
The cell phone thing is bad though, as here they try to pack the groceries using one hand while looking at their phones. They have disappeared and been replaced by students with developmental disabilities who are actually capable of doing the job, and doing it well. I am seeing more older workers also, one that are friendly, and don't look at me like they wished I would quit coming in the stores and creating work for them!
While I agree with most of the sentiments here I have to say that, just like almost anything, we tend to notice the non-performers more than those who go about their jobs competently and quietly.
I will, however, stipulate that cellphones make doing any job more difficult. It was a constant battle keeping the kids off them in class and it didn't help that many teachers and all but one Administrator were constantly on theirs (I even had Admins doing an observation or in a meeting interrupt those and just "absolutely have to take this call". That even happened regularly in all staff meetings and we'd sit there while the phone call proceeded). It's real hard to enforce rules when the people making them are also violating them.
I work for a college that trains people to work at those companies. They are crying to us to send them workers at the same time they ironically poach our instructors. We have no one to teach the classes.
I have been in your shoes. Start looking for former military as instructors.
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