Boomer Employees & Retirement

Empowered Women Can Address Age Bias

Empowered Women Can Address Age Bias

Empowered Women 50+: Using Strategic Communication to Address Age Bias I was shocked the first time I realized that my age had become an unspoken factor in a hiring decision. I was only about fifty-two at the time. I was fit, active, and thought of myself as being relatively youthful. I had an excellent background and was undoubtedly qualified for the fulltime college teaching position I wanted. I was prepared for my interview and had anticipated doing well. Unfortunately for me, three out of the four people on the hiring committee were nearly young enough to be my children. I…

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Common Threads: Influential Women 50+

Common Threads: Influential Women 50+

Some of the most influential women in history shared at least three characteristics in common--each had courage, purpose, and a voice that helped articulate a vision. Four of those women include Susan B. Anthony, Ella Baker, Betty Friedan, and Mary Harris “Mother” Jones. While each of these women began their life’s work prior to reaching their fiftieth birthdays, they all continued to grow and become even more effective as they got older. Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906) “Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputations…can never effect a reform.” Born into a Quaker family, social justice and reform were…

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Women Over Fifty: New Realities, New Opportunities

Women Over Fifty: New Realities, New Opportunities

Women tend to live longer than men. According to the Social Security Administration, about one out of every three adults who are already sixty-five or older will live into their nineties. What women need to know is that how we live and plan before we reach our final decades will have a lot to do with how we experience them. Your Balance At about fifty, most women start experiencing menopause. Yes, this can mean hot flashes and other changes as our hormones fluctuate. It can also mean that our bones become more fragile. A 2018 Science Daily article reports that…

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Gender and Health Risks After Fifty

Gender and Health Risks After Fifty

For all of us who are 50+, it is important to recognize that our health must be a bigger priority in our lives. It is also important that we develop positive relationships with our medical providers as we age. Further, we need to recognize that ageism and sexism can affect our health care and that postmenopausal women will likely experience aging and health issues differently than men.While you may not think of yourself as older when you are still in your fifties, now is the time to start thinking ahead. If you are a woman, you definitely need to start…

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Workplace Age-Discrimination and Gender

Workplace Age-Discrimination and Gender

Last month I discussed some of the financial considerations women are more likely than men to face as they age. This month, we’ll be looking at a related topic: Age-discrimination and gender in the workplace.Workplace Age Discrimination and GenderIn spite of laws such as the Age Discrimination Employment Act (ADEA) that had been passed in 1967, age discrimination continues to be an ongoing problem in the workplace. AARP conducted a survey in 2018 and found that nearly two out of three workers over 45 had observed or experienced age discrimination in the workplace (seventy-two percent (72%) of female respondents and…

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Are Women Prepared to Live Long and Prosper?

Are Women Prepared to Live Long and Prosper?

If you are a woman, try to imagine yourself at ninety-something. You’ve outlived your husband or partner, and you’ve been a widow or alone for over twenty years. Except for a period when you might have been raising children, you worked most of your life at a career with a less-than-equitable salary. You are now surviving on a modest Social Security benefit and now must sell your home of forty years to pay for assisted living care because you can no longer manage on your own.   Sound far-fetched? Think again. This was my neighbor’s story, and it could be your…

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Gender Differences: Aging & Retirement

Gender Differences: Aging & Retirement

Does your sex or gender make a difference when planning for the end of your career and beyond? I’ve spent more than three years reviewing the literature on retirement and aging. I also became a certified retirement coach last year. Even though I’ve seen some articles and read books that talked specifically about how gender affects our ‘ever-after’ life, I believe some of the differences based on sex and gender need to be examined more closely.In the coming weeks and months, I'll be adding additional topics, new links, and more information about areas where gender or sex could make a…

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Gender Differences: Retirement And Aging

Gender Differences: Retirement And Aging

  Gender Differences: Retirement, and Aging Do your sex and gender matter when planning for retirement or living a long life? I’ve spent more than three years reviewing the literature on retirement and aging. I also became a certified retirement coach last year. Even though I’ve seen some articles and read books that talked specifically about how gender affects our ‘ever-after’ life, I believe some of the differences based on sex and gender need to be examined more closely. Over the coming weeks and months, I will be updating information and adding links as they become available. Work Identity Issues…

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Many Employers Are Reinforcing Ageism by Ignoring It

Many Employers Are Reinforcing Ageism by Ignoring It

  Ageism is part of our cultural fabric – it is deeply woven into our attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. Ageism refers to stereotyping and discriminating against people and groups based on age. Yet many employers are reinforcing ageism by ignoring it. Ageism is Prevalent in Most Workplaces  Research, according to The World Health Organization, “suggests that ageism may now be even more pervasive than sexism and racism.” If you’re a woman or person of color, that’s like double or triple jeopardy. Unfortunately, many workplaces are not addressing this serious problem. This is a risky practice.   According to an AARP…

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Beyond Ageism: Discovering Untapped Potential

During the early 1800s, brine wells were dug to produce needed salt. Sometimes these wells also produced some oil, an unwanted byproduct.  Imagine sitting on such a valuable resource and not recognizing the potential of what you had. Viewing Older Workers through the Lens of Ageism Research suggests that some employers view older workers as though they were unwanted byproducts when running a business. To a degree, it is certainly understandable that employers don’t always recognize the value that older workers can bring to the workplace. Certainly, older workers often look and think a bit differently. And of course, some…

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