Question for Retirees in their late 60's and 70's.

hearlady

hearlady

Homebody
Location
N Carolina
Over the holiday I was talking with family about the fact that there are some older retirees who continue to work because they can work from home.
I commented that I thought that seemed like a good situation for them.
My 37 yr old daughter piped in and said, "Yes, nice for them but they're preventing people like me from moving up into those positions!" She said they're were many at her work that were not retiring because working from home was nice for them therefore the younger employees are stuck in their positions.
This never occurred to me.
How do you all feel about this? I'm torn.
 
hearlady said:
Over the holiday I was talking with family about the fact that there are some older retirees who continue to work because they can work from home.
I commented that I thought that seemed like a good situation for them.
My 37 yr old daughter piped in and said, "Yes, nice for them but they're preventing people like me from moving up into those positions!" She said they're were many at her work that were not retiring because working from home was nice for them therefore the younger employees are stuck in their positions.
This never occurred to me.
How do you all feel about this? I'm torn.
Click to expand...
If the day comes, I have to go back to work to make ends meet, I will get out and go to the office. I like the work family and atmosphere.
 
hearlady said:
Over the holiday I was talking with family about the fact that there are some older retirees who continue to work because they can work from home.
I commented that I thought that seemed like a good situation for them.
My 37 yr old daughter piped in and said, "Yes, nice for them but they're preventing people like me from moving up into those positions!" She said they're were many at her work that were not retiring because working from home was nice for them therefore the younger employees are stuck in their positions.
This never occurred to me.
How do you all feel about this? I'm torn.
Click to expand...
I'd call BS. 🙄
If that was true, then how did all us boomers find decent work with advancements when we had all the WWII folks hogging the best jobs and positions? If you're good at what you do, then you advance... simple.
 
The elderly working as long as they had to was the norm throughout most of history. We seem to be returning to that scenario.

It was only in the post-war, strong union, prosperous economy west that secure and generous pensions coupled with good medical benefits allowed people in the 50 to 60 age range to retire in large numbers.
 
Any job you are hired to do has room for advancement in some department or other if you are dedicated and doing your best to provide a positive outcome for that company. Older workers and younger workers don't really enter into the picture. A company grows, expands and succeeds based on the output of its workers.
 
I worked from home for 15 years before retirement. I couldn't retire fast enough.

If things are so messed up that young people can't get jobs or whatever, I wouldn't blame individuals who are working, no matter what their age.

I never had a job where advancement was a possibility. Boo hoo.

(There. I think I've covered all the bases.)
 
hearlady said:
Over the holiday I was talking with family about the fact that there are some older retirees who continue to work because they can work from home.
I commented that I thought that seemed like a good situation for them.
My 37 yr old daughter piped in and said, "Yes, nice for them but they're preventing people like me from moving up into those positions!" She said they're were many at her work that were not retiring because working from home was nice for them therefore the younger employees are stuck in their positions.
This never occurred to me.
How do you all feel about this? I'm torn.
Click to expand...
That's odd since during covid, "The Great Resignation" wasn't quitters, it was retirees who left the workforce. If they were working from home, probably more would have continued working

But for those who are still working, obviously they still like it and enjoy it. If we didn't have covid, then this wouldn't have been a debate.
 
hearlady said:
My 37 yr old daughter piped in and said, "Yes, nice for them but they're preventing people like me from moving up into those positions!" She said they're were many at her work that were not retiring because working from home was nice for them therefore the younger employees are stuck in their positions.
Click to expand...
Well it is true that it keeps someone out of the position, but if these are senior level positions, the company would probably hire a more experienced person from outside. Though at 37 a person could certainly be experienced enough for a senior position, maybe, assuming the company wants to admit it and have to pay more.
 
I've been thinking a lot about this and I appreciate all your input.
It may be a case of 'this is not the real issue.'

With my DD and SIL just having a third child their plans seem to be to move closer to us and her home school the three children.
That means one income so if he could move into a better position this could all happen. He could work remotely and transfer.
Eventually she'll go back to work.
I think all this would s stressful and she was just lashing out. She's a good woman. I don't think she's trying to push anyone out.

If I could have worked from home then maybe I would have stayed on. Then again that would mean lots of zoom meetings and I hate zoom meetings!
I'm definitely not keeping a job from anyone. They are begging for good employees in my field.
And being "mature" is a plus.
 
hearlady said:
Over the holiday I was talking with family about the fact that there are some older retirees who continue to work because they can work from home.
I commented that I thought that seemed like a good situation for them.
My 37 yr old daughter piped in and said, "Yes, nice for them but they're preventing people like me from moving up into those positions!" She said they're were many at her work that were not retiring because working from home was nice for them therefore the younger employees are stuck in their positions.
This never occurred to me.
How do you all feel about this? I'm torn.
Click to expand...
I guess she feels she is owed a good position. Good luck with that in any generation.
 
I would disregard what the 37-year-old said. Places where I worked at seniority had some benefits like vacation time. When it comes to job advancements and promotions they were based on the quality of your performance and your skill. Do not buckle into people who would want you to give up your job so they can have it. That would be the time to go to human resources.
 
hearlady said:
My 37 yr old daughter piped in and said, "Yes, nice for them but they're preventing people like me from moving up into those positions!" She said they're were many at her work that were not retiring because working from home was nice for them therefore the younger employees are stuck in their positions.
Click to expand...
I was hearing people say stuff like that as far back as the 70s.
 
If you are a senior and need the money, then go ahead and work. However, locally I know of a school teacher with a full pension that went back to work substituting. Shame on that teacher. I hope this is not common.

Most people that retire with a decent pension would never want to go back to work. That includes me! I love Mondays and I enjoy standing here at my 8th floor perch and watch those "wage slaves " go to work in the freezing Canadian winter.
 

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I sort of get what your daughter is saying. At my work (a local college), there was a lot of "dead wood " - older workers sticking to their jobs for the money, even though they hated their work and did the least that they could get away with. The college was trying to get rid of the "dead wood" and I quite understood why. I had personal experience with some of them. And the college was looking for enthusiastic new employees, regardless of age. I actually got a job there when I turned 60 as office support staff and retired from there at 67 last year.
 
Yes, the younger workers do feel that we are in their way instead of earning their promotions and they have been vocal about that for at least a decade that I know of.

However, I know that many employers are no longer using merit for hiring and retaining employees, regardless of age but entitlement.
 
I have very strong opinions about this because I moved to Dallas in 2006 and our headquarters was in Miami. I just couldn't take the rat race anymore and told my boss I was moving whether I had a job or not. She chose to keep me and I worked from home for 14 years before retiring. When headquarters moved to Seattle I kept my position because I worked harder, exceeded my goals and accomplished much more working from home. I have no kids, so there were no distractions and I was totally focused on work.

I never kept any younger person in headquarters from advancing into my position. If I had failed at my job someone else would have replaced me. Also, Baby Boomers were raised to work 24/7. Millennials were not. They believe in quality of life, and I admire them for that. However, corporations are still looking for maximum productivity. So, if your daughter is willing to "live to work" rather than "work to live" she can move up. Sorry, but I don't agree with her assessment re: her opportunities.
 
I guess it depends on your job responsibilities and the local job market. Where we live, being older = more pay & benefits = less desirable hire. The companies prefer young = cheap = think benefits aren't important = very desirable hire. We have friends and family who have been forced into retirement because they could not find jobs that paid enough to support them any longer.

I was a career exec assistant - the fancy name for secretary - to high-level execs. I was happy to retire (2006) when the opportunity arose, because I could see the trend was going to less pay but more job duties. One company posted a job that combined reception, secretarial, office manager, first level IT support and constant website updates, for $20K LESS than what I had made at my last job.

I decided that was a 'sign from above' that it was time to "exit ... stage left" and I've enjoyed my retirement immensely. Fortunately, good retirement planning worked in our favor, so no need to ever work again.
 
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