Blog #6 Ageism and the Job Market

Amani Wright

3/2/11

1:55 am

Ruth Lyons, age 59, decided to, as an experiment, change her birth year on job applications from 1951 to 1969. Reason being that she was suspicious of ageism from employers, making it difficult, if not impossible for her to acquire employment.

Many online job applications, like that of Kroger, require applicants to disclose this information, claiming that it’s just to confirm that the applicant is of age to be hired; if they are over the age of 21, the age will not even be seen by the employer.

However, many doubt this claim. Ray Peeler of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reports that the justifying claims of these companies are under investigation to make sure they are not subjecting potential employees to ageism.

Susan Heathfield, a human resources expert who writes and consults on the topic, reported that a company actually does not have the right to ask for either an applicant’s exact age or their social security number until they are hired.

After Lyons filled out an application with her new, fake birthday, she was hired. She strongly believes that her fake age is the reason she was finally granted employment.

Though ageism isn’t as recognized as racism or sexism, it is very alive. With so many unemployed Americans, we face many social issues centering around poverty and financial troubles. The elderly community is especially vulnerable when considering the unique needs [health and otherwise] that come along with senior citizenship. By not hiring senior citizens because of discrimination, we are potentially making a preexisting problem even worse. The financial aid that these people will have to resort to will cause more of a financial burden on tax payers and governments that are already suffering financially.

Big Retail Companies Require Job Applicants to Disclose Their Age