Comment

18 August 2010 | By DeeDee Doke

When Oregon voters had an opportunity to vote on whether to allow people to pump their own petrol, the anti side swung into action with TV adverts about the hidden dangers of allowing people to do so and how a law allowing it would remove the choice to not do so. Nevertheless, the measure to allow people to pump petrol into their cars failed at least once at the polls.

The hysteria surrounding the end to the Default Retirement Age has a similar ring. The naysayers are attempting to pit youth vs maturity by claiming there won’t be enough jobs to go around. They also say that many won’t want to work past the age of 65. But the UK needs as many people as possible to pay taxes. We also need the retention of skills in the workplace. We need all kinds of talent in the workplace. Value in the workplace doesn’t end on a certain birthday. And instead of being naysayers, recruiters - who stand to benefit much here - must lead social change toward ending the last taboo and the ultimate form of discrimination.