Twenty-five percent of Connecticut’s workforce is at least 55 ears of age and the population 65 years of age is expected to outnumber those under the age of 18 by 2035. As a results, Senator Haskell, now age 23 has co-sponsored a bill on age discrimination which is strongly supported by AARP. The legislation prevents employers from asking job applications questions regarding their age, date of birth or graduation date unless it directly relates to a specific job qualification.
Protections against age discrimination were first signed into law in 1967 but were whittled away by the Supreme Court in 2009 when they made it more difficult for workers to sue employers for being fired, laid off or forced out of job based on their age.
AARP has found that 60 percent of older workers have seen or experienced age discrimination and 75 percent have found it an obstacle in finding new Employment. Many people over 55 who lack sufficient savings or pensions will have to continue working.
Phyllis Ayman is the Ambassador for Conscious Aging Life Management, and founder of Mindful Longevity Solutions. She coaches individuals to develop their Personalized Longevity or Wellness Care Plans so they can live as healthfully, happily ,and fulfilled as they possibly can. As an aging life careplanning coach and mediator, she guides families to make decisions and mediate challenging conversations around aging care issues. She conceived and owns the trademark IMpathy®, essentially the inner game of empathy, which the hallmark of her proprietary programs.
Ayman is a #1 WSJ and USA Today Best Selling author, featured speaker, panel moderator, trainer, advocate gerontological speech/language pathologist and dementia care specialist. She spent over 40,000 hours working with thousands of individuals and families in long term care. Her writings have been featured in Next Avenue, McKnight’s Long Term Care News and McKnight’s Senior Living, and the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioner Newsletters.
