You need to work past 70! (But we don't want you)

[JoeWras]

So we've had a group of posts about experts telling us we need to work past 70. This topic has come up time and time again.
But how is that going to work? My body is broken down. As much as I love hard physical labor, it is barely possible for me now, and will be impossible past age 55. My dad punched through the pain every day from 55 to 65 and it reduced his quality of life significantly. His boss was kind enough to give him the easier jobs, but it was still physical labor.

So, OK, work in the "knowledge field." Fine! That's what I do now. But guess what. They don't want you. Apparently everyone over 40 is dumb. No more knowledge. I'm seeing it first hand. I know this has been a problem for a long time, but it is completely out of control in the tech world. Millennials are treated as gods. We are upending our entire office culture to bow down to their wisdom. And when layoffs come, well you know what happens.

Bloomberg explores this a bit in this article about Silicon Valley. And if you live outside of CA, don't worry, it is coming to a tech firm near you.
It’s Tough Being Over 40 in Silicon Valley - Bloomberg

I especially found the talk near the end of the TV discussion to hit home. Companies are now offering "unlimited" vacation and "generous" new child leave. But everybody is afraid to use it. It is all mind games.


Where does this go? I honestly don't get it.


Oh, and to my Millennial friends: enjoy the walk on water you are enjoying. In about 5 years, Gen-Z will be biting you in the behind and they will call whatever shoes you are wearing #dadshoes.

 

[Lcountz]

Reading your post just reinforces my thankfulness(?) that I have retired and hopefully will NOT have to work ever again.

I get a stomach ache when I read a lot of the articles today about how people are treated when they reach a certain age. I read the one you listed. I retired at 57, and I am SO GLAD I saved and lived below my means while everyone I knew made fun of me for that......

I still feel useful. I still can do a lot for my age. I just do it slower!!!!

PS. I am 60 now. I am officially "invisible". I'm just glad I'm invisible NOW instead of when I was working. I'm OK with it because I'm a loner by personality and don't really care what people think about me....but it is sad to think I'm "washed up" at 60 , maybe not at getting a job, but at ever having someone to share my life with.

I guess it's the same feeling.


Hang in there....at least on this forum you're not "too old" or "washed up".

Loved your comment about "dad-shoes".

 

[Sunset]

Happy I always LBYM, so I could save.
Prior to lots of outsourcing, which makes this issue worse, I recall seeing lots of very old fellas working in the exclusive research labs at Nortel. Working on things that 10 years later were used by the public.
Now old guys like that are dumped like garbage.

 

[JoeWras]

Happy I always LBYM, so I could save.
Prior to lots of outsourcing, which makes this issue worse, I recall seeing lots of very old fellas working in the exclusive research labs at Nortel. Working on things that 10 years later were used by the public.
Now old guys like that are dumped like garbage.

What's this research lab you speak of? All the tech firms have dumped them, for the most part. Alphabet comes close, but even then most of their projects are application oriented, such as the self-driving car. And Alphabet's Google Fiber is coming under a lot of pressure because it is not paying off.

That's maybe a whole different issue. I will say that in the place I w*rk, they had people who were more or less researchers. They didn't have a lab, but they worked among the teams. In a recent layoff earlier this year, 50% of them were summarily dumped. Very ugly.

Probably the only reason I can even talk about this without becoming too upset is I am FI and just an OMY away from RE.

 

[Sunset]

What's this research lab you speak of? All the tech firms have dumped them, for the most part. Alphabet comes close, but even then most of their projects are application oriented, such as the self-driving car. And Alphabet's Google Fiber is coming under a lot of pressure because it is not paying off.

That's maybe a whole different issue. I will say that in the place I w*rk, they had people who were more or less researchers. They didn't have a lab, but they worked among the teams. In a recent layoff earlier this year, 50% of them were summarily dumped. Very ugly.

Probably the only reason I can even talk about this without becoming too upset is I am FI and just an OMY away from RE.

I'm sure it's gone as Nortel is gone, this was a long time ago probably about 20 years ago.
Most of the White haired fellows were PHD's, or at least pretty talented.

 

[CountryGal]

Agreed. Hard to find a job in your 60s when they are getting rid of everyone from 55 on up. I don't think there are enough jobs to support everyone from 65-70 in the work force.

 

[Lakewood90712]

Many employers are quite happy to hire older workers, so long as they can get skilled / technical / professional talent at sub par pay and benefits. Really stinks, but is reality in a lot of areas.

 

[aja8888]

Many employers are quite happy to hire older workers, so long as they can get skilled / technical / professional talent at sub par pay and benefits. Really stinks, but is reality in a lot of areas.

Home Depot and Lowe's around these parts are hiring those kind of people.

 

[bclover]

Home Depot and Lowe's around these parts are hiring those kind of people.

And you know something, absolutely nothing wrong with that. My dad was as "handyman". loved it. When he retired from the NYC police department he got a part time gig working at ACE hardware.
It was the best thing for him, literally kept him young.

Remember, the object if you are retired and want to work is to do work you find fulfilling regardless to salary.

I love to bake, would never want to own my own bakery. way to much work, so yea I have no problem (if I want to get a p/t job) working in a bakery for minimum wage.

OP, I find most articles are "doom and gloom". no matter the age group. It's very much the "if it bleeds it leads mentality". On average you will find the following stories.

1) college graduates will never find a job to support them
2) In order to retire you need a kabillion dollars
3) If you manage to save it, don't you dare actually enjoy your retirement because you have to hold onto every cent for when you are 100

my advice to youngsters.... Live below your means, avoid unnecessary debt, do not measure the quality of your life by your bank account, don't sweat it if you blow 100 bucks at the ballpark, and join your 401K

Now I'm a young widow, which of course according to the "experts" is the kiss of death for a social life, lol I would love to find a "special" someone but you know what, I ain't lonely. got family and friends and I'm relearning how to do all the things I love to do solo.

 

[gerntz]

And you know something, absolutely nothing wrong with that. My dad was as "handyman". loved it. When he retired from the NYC police department he got a part time gig working at ACE hardware.
It was the best thing for him, literally kept him young.

Remember, the object if you are retired and want to work is to do work you find fulfilling regardless to salary.

Great post. No idea why working legally anywhere should ever be looked down upon.

 

[target2019]

Somewhere around 2010 I received an email from megacorp asking how they could keep experience in the house. There was a link to a poll, and I graciously complied. It asked questions like, what's more important to you, more flex time, more PTO, etc. Megacorp was pretty cocky at the time, being a main supplier of defense industry. Of course the hammer continues to catch older folks there. I was fortunate to get three wacks of the sequestration rod.
If you have skills, there are many companies that want them. Takes some luck, I admit.

 

[gauss]

40 is the new 50.

Get while the "gettin's" good-because it may not be good for long.

Been saying that for quite some time now.

-gauss

Sent from my LGLS751 using Early Retirement Forum mobile app

 

[Lsbcal]

...
Bloomberg explores this a bit in this article about Silicon Valley. And if you live outside of CA, don't worry, it is coming to a tech firm near you.
Tough Being Over 40 in Silicon Valley - Bloomberg

...

After reading such articles I have to have a good talk with myself and remind myself that this is not my battle anymore. Retired from those wars thank goodness. I do worry a bit about our son, now 32, and what words of wisdom I might impart to him.

Anyway, if I don't step back from this sort of news the anxiety winds up in bad dreams ... like being at Megacorp and not being able to find my desk or the way out.

 

[antmary]

After reading such articles I have to have a good talk with myself and remind myself that this is not my battle anymore. Retired from those wars thank goodness. I do worry a bit about our son, now 32, and what words of wisdom I might impart to him.

Anyway, if I don't step back from this sort of news the anxiety winds up in bad dreams ... like being at Megacorp and not being able to find my desk or the way out.

...good way to put it, Lsbcal...my thoughts exactly...!

 

[aja8888]

And you know something, absolutely nothing wrong with that. My dad was as "handyman". loved it. When he retired from the NYC police department he got a part time gig working at ACE hardware.
It was the best thing for him, literally kept him young.

I never implied anything was wrong with working at Lowe's or HD. I have been offered a job there recently, but still consult part-time.

 

[Amethyst]

Who are the "they" who care about whether people are still working at 70 or not? And why do they care?

Could they be the same people who fret about whether others are wearing "age-appropriate" clothing and the like?

P.S. I wore gym clothes to the store this morning. Nobody fainted, called the cops, or gave any indication they even saw me.

Amethyst

 

[Helena]

.

I ignored all the financial gurus who said NOT to retire early, NOT to take SS early and work until you drop unless you have several million dollars [I still think some of the gurus are paid government agents.]

Now I have been early retired 10 years, living frugally but comfortably and have added to my nest egg every year.

One of the major rules I follow... zero debt... everything including the house was paid off before I retired.

.

 

[bclover]

I never implied anything was wrong with working at Lowe's or HD. I have been offered a job there recently, but still consult part-time.

apologies, it's just usually these jobs are said with derision, right up their with "walmart greeter".
USUALLY, on these forum when someone mentions working at these jobs it's always as if it's a fate worst than death.

Now while I would not recommend them to pay the bills I do know quite a few seniors who enjoy their minimum wage job. As in my dad's case, it brought him in contact with other people who he genuinely helped with his knowledge, he was reliable and hardworking which made him a godsend to his manager, he liked having somewhere to go and it gave him a few extra hundred bucks. He called it his guilt free gambling money AND the number one thing he loved was after 25 years at a high stress job he had absolutely no stress whatsoever.

 

[FI by 2024]

apologies, it's just usually these jobs are said with derision, right up their with "walmart greeter".

USUALLY, on these forum when someone mentions working at these jobs it's always as if it's a fate worst than death.

Maybe true, but in real life I know quite a few people who talk about getting Walmart greeter-type jobs once they start their pension. Low stress, easy way to keep busy and earn some extra cash, in their view. I'd rather not work for pay, but to each their own.

Note: I'm not in any way qualified to work at HD or Lowes but I think I'd like it. They always have great stuff!

 

[Helena]

apologies, it's just usually these jobs are said with derision, right up their with "walmart greeter".
USUALLY, on these forum when someone mentions working at these jobs it's always as if it's a fate worst than death.

People who do that should remember the old saying...

"Be nice to people on your way up... you might meet them again on your way down."

.

 

[JoeWras]

I never implied anything was wrong with working at Lowe's or HD. I have been offered a job there recently, but still consult part-time.

Wow, I don't know how this went there either. I didn't want to imply that either. As a matter of fact, I'm considering the Lowe's/HD gig. The problem is, however, I'm a bit broken down and not even sure I can handle that job. To HD's credit, I will say they don't necessarily require everyone to lift. I've been helped by associates that use a power cart, and a walker cart. I would guess that those job positions are more limited in number.

And my dad proudly worked as a plumber his entire life. Nothing wrong with that. HE was the guy who was willing to stick his hand in the toilet and retrieve the gold chains people dropped down there. I can't even tell you all the crap -- literally -- he endured. These are good jobs, but hard to fill in that 55-70 age range.

Who are the "they" who care about whether people are still working at 70 or not? And why do they care?

Amethyst

Kind of my point. I'm gonna FIRE. It is just ironic that on one side, "they" want you to work forever, and on the other, "they" want to toss you into the garbage/scrap/rubbish heap.

 

[Choices]

I worked at HD between professional careers, pretty low stress. It was something I always thought I wanted to do. The pay was about half of what I had been earning but I got to destress before returning to the wars.

 

[aja8888]

Wow, I don't know how this went there either. I didn't want to imply that either. As a matter of fact, I'm considering the Lowe's/HD gig. The problem is, however, I'm a bit broken down and not even sure I can handle that job. To HD's credit, I will say they don't necessarily require everyone to lift. I've been helped by associates that use a power cart, and a walker cart. I would guess that those job positions are more limited in number.

And my dad proudly worked as a plumber his entire life. Nothing wrong with that. HE was the guy who was willing to stick his hand in the toilet and retrieve the gold chains people dropped down there. I can't even tell you all the crap -- literally -- he endured. These are good jobs, but hard to fill in that 55-70 age range.


Kind of my point. I'm gonna FIRE. It is just ironic that on one side, "they" want you to work forever, and on the other, "they" want to toss you into the garbage/scrap/rubbish heap.

I have a friend (neighbor) working at HD now. He retired from Compaq and HP here in Houston. He is very handy and a good mechanic type. He is about mid 60's and loves the work (part time as most jobs are there). Being skilled, mechanically, he enjoys helping the customers who are not very handy and struggling to find what they need to do to complete a home task. I think he works about 20 hours per week.

I have another neighbor who is a courtesy driver for the local VW/BMW/MB dealers about a mile from our subdivision. He is easily in his 70's and loves the job, which is also part time. When he was driving me back from dropping my car off at the VW dealer for a warranty fix, he asked me if I would be interested in joining the "team" of drivers as they have an opening. I declined, but apparently, there are a lot of part time gigs for older folks out there that need filling.

 

[Amethyst]

A friend worked as a Lowe's associate for almost 10 years after retiring. He really liked working there, and only retired completely because he was about to turn 66 and it was "time to stop." While not what you'd call "broken down," he endured several health issues during that time.

The secret to his success as an associate is that he has a good memory (knows where absolutely everything is in the store) and on top of that, genuinely loves assisting people. He is the kind who will practically take a customer by the hand and lead them to the item they want. Even when we worked together in our old jobs, he was like that - always the one who would make runs to fetch soda or snacks, that kind of thing. He also laughs easily at himself and sees the absurd in everything.

Good luck

 

[JoeWras]

Well by broken down I mean the orthopedic stuff. You know, knee and hip replacements, shoulders and rotator cuffs, spinal issues. Much of it fixable, unless the microbes get you.

You don't realize how much you rely on 'dem bones' until they let you down.