It’s Boomers’ Turn To Face The Future

So, you’re 50 years old. Have you experienced your last promotion? Made your last big contribution to the economy? What does your future hold? A forced early retirement, perhaps, followed by minimum-wage jobs while you wait for Social Security?

Let’s hope not.

And yet, the generation that created America’s youth-knows-best culture is becoming victim of its own shortsightedness and capitalism’s worst instincts. This year, the largest crop of baby boomers, those born in 1957, turns 40 - and officially becomes eligible for age discrimination.

The ailments of age might seem to be poetic justice for this most narcissistic generation. But it would be better for us all if baby boomers would deal with the wrinkled, gray-haired maturity they now see in the mirror by insisting that popular culture grant to age the respect that age historically had enjoyed - until the rebellious boomers came along.

Under federal law, people over 40 can sue if employers fire them, demote them or refuse to hire or promote them on the basis of their age.

Now, 45 percent of the nation’s 134 million workers are 40 or older. That percentage is going to grow. So might the number of age discrimination lawsuits as businesses strive to boost their profits by dumping their most-experienced (and expensive) workers.

If we’d rather not create more civil rights litigation, what are we going to do about the presumption that older workers are has-beens - set in their ways, slow to change, marking time to retirement?

First, we have to recognize such a presumption as a stereotype. And a foolish one at that. Experience is a virtue.

Second, we have to recognize that experience becomes a detriment only when individual workers allow it to make them closed-minded. It would take a foolish company indeed to dump an older employee with an old-fashioned work ethic, loyalty, a wealth of instincts and experience - and a willingness to try new things. Such as computers, for instance.

Workers can prevent themselves from becoming obsolete before their time. Continuing-education classes, computer training and professional networking help people get jobs in their 20s - and ought to help people keep jobs in their 50s. And yes, in their 60s and 70s as well.

Improvements in health care and changes in the retirement age for Social Security probably will make it both possible and necessary for Americans to work far past age 65. But before that can occur, it will be up to each of us to demolish the stereotypes about age by proving the stereotypes wrong.

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = John Webster For the editorial board