Module 5

  Marketing the Older Consumer: Understanding Employer and Workplace Needs

Learner’s Goal: To understand the societal myths which affect vocational rehabilitation agencies, counselors, consumers and employers and their impact on the employment of older persons.

Learner Objective: At the end of the module, you will understand these myths and be able to debunk them.

“Minds are like parachutes–they only work when they’re open” (Cetron, Rocha & Luckins,1988).

“The most practical approach is to identify the most important "intervention points” and develop major strategies which will, in effect, change policies and practices to create more employment opportunities” (Morrison, 1991, p.30).

A.        Societal Myths and Overall Impact on All the Players

• People over 65 are too old and cannot be expected to do much.

• Most older people have poor health.

•   Older minds aren’t as bright as younger minds

• Older people are unproductive.

• Older people cannot work independently.  (Corthell,1990).

Debunking These Myths

Insurance company data indicates that older workers use less sick leave on average than younger workers.  Furthermore, they are less likely to quit, are generally as productive as younger workers, have good attendance and punctuality, tend to set more realistic goals, and use their practical knowledge to get work done (Morgan & Walters, 1980).

“Cicero said it best: ‘Exercise and temperance can preserve something of our early vigor even in old age.’ This essentially is the philosophy of those who work in their older years. Work produces pride; work produces positive social interactions. Work allows a person to be physically as well as mentally productive, and productivity is a hallmark of our society.” (Isernhagen,1991).

B.        Employer Myths

·     Older people do not have the skills to do today’s work or conversely the older person seems overqualified. (www.aarp.org/working_options)

·      Older people are unproductive/inefficient, inflexible.

 

·       You can’t teach an old dog new tricks--older people cannot learn new technologies.

 

·        Older people cannot hold down a job due to poor health (Corthell,1990).

 

·        It’s not worth the time to train a person who will soon retire (www.aarp.org/working_options)

·      Older people are less productive.

 

·      Older people are cheaper (www.aarp.org/working_options)

Debunking These Myths:

Employers have certain belief systems regarding all individuals with disabilities.  Therefore, it is important for rehabilitation professionals to determine the degree to which a potential employer subscribes to these overall beliefs and to set about dispelling them.  One strategy might be to invite an employer to a technology or rehabilitation center to observe what persons who are blind can do with the appropriate training and use of technology–both high and low tech.

·                      Employers are faced with a hard reality. According to the Census Bureau, the number of 20-34 year olds in the U.S. has declined by 6 million over the last decade while the number of people over 50 has increased by 12 million (www.maturityworks.org/new/ap_ncoa_partnership.html)

·                      A study of 240 US businesses revealed that 97 percent regard older workers as thorough and reliable in completing their work.  They also said older workers have lower turnover rates (88%), are not rigid and unwilling to change (85%), are interested in learning new tasks (81%), and do not miss time from work because of health problems (94%)."

·                      "Older workers represent 10 percent of the workforce but account for 22% of the nation's job growth since 1995" (Experience Works, formerly known as Green Thumb).

·                      “Make Age Irrelevant”, says Sally James, Executive Director of Career Encores who offers the following suggestions to older job seekers and counselors: 

•  stress valuable skills and commitment

• keep skills current

• learn about the company before the interview

• show enthusiasm for the job

• tailor the resume to the job; show skills on resume which relate to the job directly

Dealing with Age Discrimination

Under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), an employer cannot discharge, refuse to hire, or otherwise discriminate on the basis of age.  For more information about this act and how to proceed, check (www.aarp.org/working_options/agediscrim/home.html)

• Older consumers may take more time to place, but once on the job are more likely to stay.  Follow-up studies with Project VIEW clients indicated that many older people in their 70s and 80s have remained on the job for several years and have required little in the way of ongoing support.  Furthermore, employers are begging for more “good workers.”

E.                  Consumer Myths/Myths of Significant Others

Consumers and family members feel the older person is too old to be hired or start a new career.

Consumers feel visual impairment limits ability to work any more.

            Consumers fear potential loss of benefits.

Consumers and families often inculcate societal myths about age and disability (Corthell, 1990).

Consumers fear rejection and feel older workers are not welcomed in the workplace (Miller, 1991).(aarp.org/working_options/profiles/jamesprofile.html)

 

Debunking These Myths

·   Negative Attitudes

Generally, older consumers have grown up having negative attitudes towards vision loss because of the myths that the public had about blindness.  Blindness was and still is to many people a tragedy worse than death.  Most older consumers are devastated when they learn that they are losing their vision, or will become legally blind because the fear of darkness is quite frequently among the most common fears people have. 

Blindness is so feared by the older person that in many cases other more potentially dangerous diseases are perceived less threatening and more welcoming than visual impairments.  The fear usually stems from the feeling of loss of independence and the loss of self identity.

·   Loss of Benefits

With the signing of H.R. 5, the "Senior Citizens' Freedom to Work Act of 2000, financial disincentives for work for individuals 65 and older were eliminated.  This bill amended Title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act and repealed the limitation on the amount of outside income which beneficiaries who have attained retirement age may earn (earnings test) without incurring a reduction in benefits.

The bill as signed by the President on April 7, 2000 (P.L. 106‑182) did not contain a provision for restoring the link between SSDI recipients and retirees 65 and older (American Foundation for the Blind, 2000 (WFW, May 8, 2000 , Vol. 106 No. 11) .

Through the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 (TIA/ WIA), financial limitations to Medicaid benefits have been liberalized in some states.  For example, in Connecticut a person can earn up to $75,000 and retain Medicaid benefits.

  Social Security Act Changes. Section 112. Expedited Reinstatement of Disability Benefits.

The act establishes that an individual: (1) whose entitlement to SSDI benefits had been terminated on the basis of work activity following completion of an extended period of eligibility; or (2) whose eligibility for SSI benefits (including special SSI eligibility status under section 1619(b) of the Social Security Act) had been terminated following suspension of those benefits for 12 consecutive months on account of excess income resulting from work activity, may request reinstatement of those benefits without filing a new application.  The individual must have become unable to continue working due to his or her medical condition and must file a reinstatement request within the 60‑month period following the month of such termination.

While the Commissioner is making a determination pertaining to a reinstatement request, the individual would be eligible for provisional benefits (cash benefits and Medicare or Medicaid, as appropriate) for a period of not more than 6 months.  If the Commissioner makes a favorable determination, such the individual's prior entitlement to benefits would be reinstated, as would be the prior benefits of his or her dependents who continue to meet the entitlement criteria.  If the Commissioner makes an unfavorable determination, provisional benefits would end, but the provisional benefits already paid would not be considered an overpayment.  (Ford, 1999).

  Resources

1.         Employment Barriers  outlines and systematically refutes some of the barriers which older persons often assume exist to employment (www.aarp.org/working_options/barriers/home.html)

a.         “My work experience makes me overqualified for available positions.”

b.         “Older persons cannot compete with younger workers.”

c.         “Mature workers increase costs to the employer.”

d.         “Older workers are rigid, not as adaptable and slow to learn.”

e.         “I have not kept up with all the technology changes in the workplace.”

f.      “I do have some physical limitations.”

g.         “I will lose some of my Social Security benefits if I go back to work.”

h.         “I am taking care of a frail family member.”

i.          “I really want to work but my family insists I should retire.” (www.aarp.org/working_options/barriers/home.html)

2.         Two other excellent resources for older workers seeking employment and for counselors are:

a.                  Senior Employment Tips for Older Workers which can be found on the Senior Employment Program website. (www.sremploy.org/seniors.html)

This web site contains information about:

·                      writing a senior resume

·                      how to use classified ads

·                      how to sell yourself to an employer

·                      job interview checklist

·                      reasons for an unsuccessful interview

·                      20 reasons older people don’t get hired

·                      occupational survival skills

·                      negative evaluations from employers.

b.         Working Options which can be found at www.aarp.org/working_options.  This site contains information about:

·                      writing a winning resume (including a functional resume)

·                      changing careers

·                      job search

·                      keeping your career healthy

·                      discrimination

·                      self-employment

·                      making age irrelevant

·                      and links to information about career opportunities.

  Debunking the Myths Overall:

Debunking the myths can be achieved by:

a.         educating the public and consumers

b.                  providing consumers with counseling services

c.         discharging the myths held by professional counselors and teachers and related staff that consumers are too old to work

d.         working to dispel employer myths about older visually impaired workers

Learning Activities–You may try these activities to practice what you have learned.

1.         Talk to or listen to a tape of an older consumer who is currently working to find out about his/her experiences.

2.         Talk to or listen to a tape of a counselor who has placed older clients to find out about his/her experiences.

3.         Role play a discussion with an employer in which you attempt to dispel his/her myths about hiring an older person.

4.         Role play a counseling session with an older client who is interested in going back to work but who needs some positive reinforcement.

5.         Role play a discussion with another counselor who is stating he/she will never work with older clients because “they’re just too old to work.”

Congratulations!  

You have finished Module 5. 

Now go on to the key points section to review what you have learned.

Key Points

1.        A societal myth which must be overcome is that people over 65 are too old to work and cannot be expected to do much.

2.         A critical employer myth is that older people do not have the skills to do today’s work and are incapable of learning them.

3.        Counselors must overcome the myth that older consumers take up too much time and do not result in a placement.

4.        Consumers have to overcome the dual myths that they are too old to work and that visual impairment eliminates their ability to work.

Self-Check

You will find a self-check section at the end of each module to allow you to find out what you have learned and help you identify sections you may need to review before moving on to the next module.

Please answer each True or False and check Appendix A for answers.

____1.             Persons 65 of age and older can now earn only $2000 per year without incurring an income tax penalty.

____2.            Older workers are a bad investment. They do not remain on the job and have little interest in their work when they are there.

____3.            According to a recent study, 97% of businesses regard older workers as thorough and reliable in completing work and have a lower turnover.