I think it’s fair to say that most disabled insureds are over 50, and some are looking to return to the workplace. Returning to work after the age of 50 can be very difficult in some states since the perception of the elderly in our culture has definitely changed from the “voice of experience” to a “crazy old coot with with a squishy donut brain.”
In Maine, for example, employers consider workers over 50 as poor risks, frequent offenders of sick leave, and not open to working outside the box. This is why I see so many elderly supermarket people bagging groceries because it is presumed their minds are now “dumber than a donut.” Just after the UNUMProvident merger, employees over 50 were offered voluntary retirement to get them out of the company.
Somehow the elderly have gotten a bad rap when it comes to working over 50. Highly specialized occupations may be more accepting with higher credentials, but in general, finding work is very difficult, even for those who are not returning to the workplace after a period of disability.
It’s a bit funny, well, maybe not so much that prospective clients sometimes apply their own elder prejudice to me. Despite the fact that I have been self-employed for 25 years, people still ask me about my age. I’m still running a very successful consulting business, and that’s my answer. Discrimination at any age, for any reason probably isn’t a good thing.
I encourage my clients to return to some sort of work if their health allows them to do it. Working is healthy, and despite what our culture tells us, 70 is the new 50. Today, the elderly have a much broader and more detailed knowledge about health, nutrition, and how to take care of oneself in view of changing disclosures about food, water and plant cultivation. It’s possible for those who are 50 years old now, to be able to live much longer lives. And, why shouldn’t they be able to work if they want to?
I also think in our current culture there is a tendency to shut out the elderly because we don’t have our cell phones stapled to our heads. We’re not conforming to Generation Z and lived when life was conventional and more normal, and that just doesn’t fit in with popular life styles in the modern world.
BUT, the elderly know things. They have the experience to solve problems, be more objective, are slow to react preferring to think things through. There are those in our society who would tell you these qualities are not good things. Still, hiring someone over 50 brings a stabilized and knowledgeable perspective to the workplace. So, if you are over 50 years old and want to return to the workplace, don’t give up. Your brain is not a “squishy donut” and you’ll do just fine.
