Under the Human Rights Act 1993 and the Employment Act 2000, it is unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of age in employment – yet you’d be naive to think it didn’t happen every day in New Zealand.
Here at KathyBirk, it’s a story we hear all too often. One member of our Early Adopters group shared some of the excuses she has encountered on the hunt for a job. In multiple cases, once recruiters realised that she was 57 years old they dismissed her application using excuses such as “you’re over qualified for the role”, and “you’ll get bored quickly”.
We’ve even heard from people that have resorted to omitting previous work experience from their CV to disguise their age.
While this issue is slowly improving as it gains more publicity, ageism is still very much alive and well in today’s workplaces and job markets.
Let’s explore some of the common myths surrounding older workers that have led to this discrimination. Continue reading “The Truth about Older Workers”
