We were at the local football game and my friend asked me if I had noticed an increase in resentment about retired people coming back to work,as teachers on call or part time. I said that I had not, but I also reminded him that had not actually worked for the past three years.
He indicated that he had noticed this and had been told by one of the people he had been working for, that he would not be called in for this person again. My friend asked why and the person, who was a department head, said, "Because you are retired and I want to give a younger person a chance".
My friend had known this person for about 10 years, and was upset, but he decided that he was not going to pursue the issue, because he too had decided that he would leave his profession.
I told him, he should have made this an issue, the department head was discriminating against my friend and others, because of their age. The is protection against this type of discrimination in the union contract and in our professional code of ethics and the employer in BC, also has policy against this form of discrimination. The problem is that this person and others do not realize that they are discriminating.
The only way to help them learn is to point it out to them and if they do not change, to report them. The problem is my friend is in a speciality area and if he is not called in then then there may be no-one called in and other teachers will lose their prep time when called on to cover the class, and/or a teacher with no background in the speciality will be called in and the students will be doing nothing. Older teachers and I suspect older workers everywhere, are being asked back or they are coming back because they have expertise that is needed by the employer that the young have not yet learned.
We cannot change what people think about us old folks, but we can change what they say and what they do.
He indicated that he had noticed this and had been told by one of the people he had been working for, that he would not be called in for this person again. My friend asked why and the person, who was a department head, said, "Because you are retired and I want to give a younger person a chance".
My friend had known this person for about 10 years, and was upset, but he decided that he was not going to pursue the issue, because he too had decided that he would leave his profession.
I told him, he should have made this an issue, the department head was discriminating against my friend and others, because of their age. The is protection against this type of discrimination in the union contract and in our professional code of ethics and the employer in BC, also has policy against this form of discrimination. The problem is that this person and others do not realize that they are discriminating.
The only way to help them learn is to point it out to them and if they do not change, to report them. The problem is my friend is in a speciality area and if he is not called in then then there may be no-one called in and other teachers will lose their prep time when called on to cover the class, and/or a teacher with no background in the speciality will be called in and the students will be doing nothing. Older teachers and I suspect older workers everywhere, are being asked back or they are coming back because they have expertise that is needed by the employer that the young have not yet learned.
We cannot change what people think about us old folks, but we can change what they say and what they do.
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