When is too old to work?

A hospital receptionist in Edinburgh retired a few days ago, aged 90! She looks years younger and so happy.

nanna8

I would always give a job to a younger person because they need it more. They have mortgages, children, many more costs. That is why we should move over and let the young ones have a go instead of clinging on to a job. Not all jobs, obviously, but those where a young g person is capable and willing.

Lots of young people are not married or partnered, nor do they have children. Their wages will go on holidays and experiences.

Many jobs require not just training but extensive experience.

Having just suffered a long period of mental distress that rose from a young doctor, very clever and learned, but very short on experience, who misdiagnosed me as having something quite serious, despite all the evidence to the contrary. It took over a year for senior more experienced doctors to unravel the mess and treat me for the very minor problem I actually had.

I would always give a job to the best person regardless of age.

nanna8

I would always give a job to a younger person because they need it more. They have mortgages, children, many more costs. That is why we should move over and let the young ones have a go instead of clinging on to a job. Not all jobs, obviously, but those where a young g person is capable and willing.

There could be a load of discussion around that one - ie would an employer prefer a younger person (who might need the money more) on the one hand or an employee from a generation that has been taught "If you've got a job then you try and do it properly - and no mental health days off/no childcare days off and generally make a reasonable effort to do the job".

Age considerations can swing both ways imo. I know in the type of job I was in (ie office work) that employers would prefer a younger person anyway (as they weren't holding onto the idea in their heads that "office jobs are in office hours only - ie 9am-5pm Monday-Friday" and "overtime should be paid at the proper rate", etc) and we were not likely to be regarded favourably because we "knew our rights". On the other hand an older woman wouldnt be turning round to an employer that only took her on months beforehand and saying "There's something I didnt tell you at interview - I'm pregnant. Now give me maternity leave" and one would be much safer employing a woman in her 50's upwards.

So very much "swings and roundabouts" and some employers will prefer to employ older employees - as they'd feel more comfortable about the chances the job would get done.

There's loads of different factors to weigh up...

I would always give a job to a younger person because they need it more. They have mortgages, children, many more costs. That is why we should move over and let the young ones have a go instead of clinging on to a job. Not all jobs, obviously, but those where a young g person is capable and willing.

Why would it be a con? Surely anyone of nearly 80 is able to work out that his employment prospects are slim. If he wants to study the course, and enjoys doing it, it is not worthless unless he sees education as a transaction - 'I will pay £X to take this course in return for a guarantee of earning £Y if I pass'.

I don't see it like that at all, and I very much doubt that the course will have been advertised with such a guarantee.

I am wondering, with this course being so very expensive, if it is not a con? Is it a recognised accreditation he willl gain?and does the institute have connections to the business world? Is it an online course? I have a good friend who spent thousands and studied for 2 years and his qualification is worthless.

Macadia

Employers dont ask your age do they?

Put it this way - considering that one can't necessarily tell how old some people are by looking at them....as some look years younger than their age and some look years older ditto.

But cultural references could get them every time.....as in someone in their 70's could be asked "Who did you prefer? The Beatles or the Rolling Stones" and they'd probably have a preference and would certainly know who you mean. Whereas a younger person would probably just look blank (ie visibly wondering who they were). Viewpoints too - check what their definition of a word means and if you say someone is "British" an older person will probably be visualising just that - but a younger person might ask what you mean. "Self-identifying" all round as something that one isn't is probably a huge give-away of age range.

....and so it goes on....as to viewpoints and words used being a probable give-away.

Doodledog

M0nica

No, but most can work out your age, at interview, if nt earlier from what you say on your online application form.

Des it matter? If the chap is happy learning to be a management consultant isn’t that better than being confined to what others see as transactionally appropriate learning, whether or not his course leads to paid work? Life is about so much more than that.

Exactly.

M0nica

No, but most can work out your age, at interview, if nt earlier from what you say on your online application form.

Des it matter? If the chap is happy learning to be a management consultant isn’t that better than being confined to what others see as transactionally appropriate learning, whether or not his course leads to paid work? Life is about so much more than that.

No, but most can work out your age, at interview, if nt earlier from what you say on your online application form.

Employers dont ask your age do they?

cc

M0nica

DH worked for a friend's small consultancy firm, so he was insured through the company.

Ah, I see, I thought you said he was self-employed M0nica. My husband previously worked on multi-million pound projects for the World Bank so there was no way he would be able to do this without full insurance!

Well, he was self employed. It was just that as an independent engineer he chose to work on contract for one company whose insurance covered him as one of the company's representatives.

Cannot imagine any employer taking your DH on as an employee. As you explain he has experience that he hopes to use in his new career. Think he will have to be self employeed in any career he thinks he will have.

My late OH was a total pessimist as he got older - his Parkinsons did not help.

My brother has the same disease but looks forward every day and fills his life with things he enjoys.

If your OH is absorbed in something that interests him and is looking forwards, then applaud him and support him every inch of the way.

At least you will not find yourself trying to mop someone up from a slough of despond day in day out. Don't misunderstand me - I loved him and was entirely willing to do what was needed, but it was a huge challenge.

maybe he just enjoys learning, since leaving full time education I continued doing many courses in every decade of my life, it is a great social thing, keeps brain active, there was no end game objective per se but I liked doing it

M0nica

DH worked for a friend's small consultancy firm, so he was insured through the company.

Ah, I see, I thought you said he was self-employed M0nica. My husband previously worked on multi-million pound projects for the World Bank so there was no way he would be able to do this without full insurance!

DH worked for a friend's small consultancy firm, so he was insured through the company.

Barleyfields

He is being very over optimistic, or dare I say deluded. I can’t imagine anybody employing an 80+ year old newly qualified management consultant, no track record. It’s not an investment, it’s an expensive hobby.

I don't think that there is a real qualification for being a management consultant, most firms of this type take on graduates with first class degrees and train them as financial or management accountants, though some are also lawyers. Or is he perhaps doing an MBA? Either way he'd need relevant experience and I'd agree it sounds very over optimistic.

M0nica

Barleyfields

He is being very over optimistic, or dare I say deluded. I can’t imagine anybody employing an 80+ year old newly qualified management consultant, no track record. It’s not an investment, it’s an expensive hobby.

I totally agree. DH is 81 and has just drifted out of work, but he is a chartered engineer, who simply went self employed on retirement and has worked doing the work he has done all his life and had a recognised expertise in. He took such work as he wanted and since COVID limited it to work he could do from home.

But anyone of 80plus thinking that they can train for a new career and get work, is I think, living in cloud cuckoo land.

I am also puzzled how you train to be a management consultant. Management consultants are usually people with a given expertise in a field, who then become management consultants advising in that field of expertise. Does he have a field of expertise he will use his management consultant skills in?

Having said that your DH is admirable, if slightly misguided because all this activity, especially mental activity will very definitely help him live fit and well for a long time and provide considerable protection from dementia.

My husband was also a chartered engineer and found that the professional liability insurance that he would have had to take out if he was self employed was just too expensive to be worthwhile. He's delighted to be fully retired now!

But the cost may be £20,000 or something.
Which the op may rightly assume may be better spent[or saved] elsewhere.

If it is £2.000 she may be wrong.

Let the man do it - he obviously wants to and probably enjoys the challenge - good for him at 80!

Thanks for all the thoughtful advice and opinions.
I totally agree that it’s very important to keep active physically and mentally as long as one can and I admire my husband for his continuing thirst for study- but there is a cost!

It sounds to me as if he is quite capable of assessing his own employment prospects!

Margomar

I should explain that it’s not a new field of work for him, he has loads of experience in running organisations and troubleshooting and is very highly regarded , it’s just that he feels the need for this specific training. He is convinced that the cost will be justified by the well paid consultancy work.
I agree with Elowen33 - he has an expensive hobby!

What is the cost? If you dont mind me asking.

Maybe this hinges on whether you need the money for other things?

I’m all for people aiming to get the best out of their lives, but I also think they need to be realistic about old age… Maybe he could chat to one of the counsellors at the therapy centre he helps out at?

I agree with you that he is being over optimistic.