(W)age Discrimination Is Alive and Well… And What You Can Do About It

I don’t know about you, but I’m getting really tired of reading the headlines over the past few years. It seems everywhere you turn, another company is laying off thousands in reaction to the bad economic conditions.

If you’ve ever been responsible for deciding who to layoff (which I have), or if you have been victim to a layoff (which I have), I’m sure you’re familiar how layoffs typically work…

…reduce costs by determining who’s expendable, locate the biggest salary savings, and whack away.

As I look at the layoffs that I’ve been around over the years, it’s pretty clear when a company decides who to layoff, wage discrimination is alive and well. But should this really be called (w)age discimination? …

It would be very interesting to look at the statistics of layoffs. Do layoffs tend to target older higher paid workers? I don’t know of any demographics that have been published about layoffs, but it wouldn’t surprise me if layoffs target higher paid more mature workers than any other group.

If that’s true, an argument can be made that this isn’t wage discrimination after all … it’s actually age discimination. I believe it’s (w)age discrimination.

If you’ve been subject to (w)age discrimination, what can you do about it?

I suppose you can get some slick attorney to represent you in court, but I wouldn’t recommend that. You need to be much more proactive.

First, if you are one of those more mature workers who has been laid off due to (w)age discrimination, get really clear about your value to the working world. You can’t take for granted your prospective employer will translate your years of experience to benefits to the company. Become expert at knowing who you are, how how your experience coupled with who you innately are will benefit your employer.

Second, become an expert marketer of You, Inc. Gone are the days of putting together a standard resume and cover letter, and having it noticed by employers. Learn to write a resume and a cover letter like a veteran copywriter. Make it look like a headline in a magazine where you can’t resist reading it. Again…be crystal clear how you intend to benefit your employer in your resume and cover letter.

Finally, be real in your salary expectations. For the most part, people are making less today than they were five years ago. Don’t ask for what you made two years ago. Be realistic.

If you’d like to find out how much you’re using your using your natural born abilities (your Given Talent) at work and at home, try our free Reality Check by clicking HERE.

Author:

Dave Dutton – Founder of stuckinarut.com – Answering the question for all ages… “What do I want to be when I grow up”