26/06/2017 Are many over-50s really victims of workplace ageism? Whats your experience?

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Are many over-50s really victims of workplace ageism?

Whats your experience?
PUBLISHED: 12:08 30 March 2017 | UPDATED: 12:08 30 March 2017 Steve Russell

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26/06/2017 Are many over-50s really victims of workplace ageism? Whats your experience? - News - Ipswich Star

The Government is campaigning to stop discrimination against older workers.

Picture: Thinkstock. Posed by models

There is simply too much ageism in our society. This needs to change, says Aviva UK
Lifes Andy Briggs

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26/06/2017 Are many over-50s really victims of workplace ageism? Whats your experience? - News - Ipswich Star

'I don t feel old,' laughs Veronica Kinsbourg, who works for Aviva. 'There are a lot of ads on the radio and TV "if
you re over 65&" or "get the free u jab" but I don t relate to all that in my head.' Picture: DENISE BRADLEY

Meet Veronica Johannes-Kinsbourg surely a poster girl waiting to be claimed by

campaigners lauding Britains older workers. She probably wont welcome me
suggesting it, but its true.

Veronica turns 66 in early summer, but has no immediate plans to retire from
insurance and nancial services giant Aviva.

I dont feel old, she laughs. There are a lot of ads on the radio and TV if youre
over 65 or get the free u jab but I dont relate to all that in my head.

We do appear to be a nation obsessed with youth (despite gures showing more

than a third of the UK workforce will be aged over 50 by 2020) but theres no excuse
for letting stereotypes go unchallenged.

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26/06/2017 Are many over-50s really victims of workplace ageism? Whats your experience? - News - Ipswich Star

Just as we wouldnt suggest most teenagers are workshy, nor should we claim
everyone aged over 50 is a virtual dinosaur. But research has 78% of older workers
claiming age discrimination exists in the workplace.

We mustnt ever make snap judgments based on age, skin colour, gender,
appearance or anything similar.

Short-term work 'is a way of getting your foot in the door and a chance to prove yourself', says Veronica Kinsbourg,
who got her chance with Aviva that way. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY

Without talking to Veronica, for instance, youd never know what experience she
brings. That shes lived in a string of countries. That shes had to reinvent herself, and
adapt, numerous times.

You want people like that on your team.

Andy Briggs, CEO of Aviva UK Life, says a diverse workplace is likely to create a more
dynamic and productive working environment. Diverse businesses are better
businesses they make better decisions, better represent their communities and

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better represent their customers.

Our ageing UK population and the widening skills gap means its crucial we start to
shift attitudes towards older workers.

Andy, also the Governments Business Champion for Older Workers, adds: There is
simply too much ageism, both conscious and unconscious, in our society, which is
leading to fewer employment opportunities available to older workers. This needs to
change.

Research by Aviva says folk over 50 claims the odds are stacked against them. Nearly
four in ve are less inclined to apply for a new job because of their age and 80% think
they will have less chance of getting it, compared to younger applicants.

Andy Briggs, CEO of Aviva UK Life and the Government s Business Champion for Older Workers, says 'a diverse
workplace is likely to create a more dynamic and productive working environment... Our ageing UK population and
the widening skills gap means it s crucial we start to shift attitudes towards older workers.' Picture: Aviva

Theres clearly work to do...

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26/06/2017 Are many over-50s really victims of workplace ageism? Whats your experience? - News - Ipswich Star

So what do we want?

Andy Briggs is calling on employers to increase the number of people they employ in
the 50-69 age bracket. The target: Up by 12% in ve years. Thats job opportunities for
a million more older workers by 2022.

When I wake up, I feel Im still in my 20s

What would Veronica Kinsbourg say to rms reluctant to allow a grey hair through their sta entrance? 'You re
missing out on a wealth of experience.' Picture: DENISE BRADLEY

A chat with Veronica proves we can never see inside someones head and gauge the
depth of their experience just by looking at them. A gallop through her life thus far:

* As a child, lived in Japan, Russia, Persia, Bulgaria, Holland and Beirut the result of
having an engineer father who worked for Britains embassies

* Veronica and her sister later lived with her aunt between Norwich and Beccles, and
later still went to boarding school in Lowestoft

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* Was a ight attendant for nearly 10 years, after joining British European Airways

* Spent just under a year as an executive PA to an adviser of the sultan of Oman. A

great experience, but Your day ended only when he had retired for the night. Very
gruelling, really, and your life wasnt your own.

* After marrying her second husband, a Frenchman, she lived in France and America.
Had son in late 1980s. When the marriage ended, stayed in the States for about a
decade, having variety of jobs

* Left America in 1998 and spent about 10 years in France

* She and her son left the States with just one suitcase each. Her other belongings
went into storage. Ive never gotten it back. I dont even know where it is. Its
probably been on one of those programmes on TV! (Like Storage Hunters, where
long-forgotten containers are opened with bolt-cutters and the contents auctioned.)

* Her elderly aunt had moved to Norwich. Veronica was asked if she could come over
and care for her. She did that for about 18 months, until her aunt died.

I was in my middle 50s by then. I thought Id better go and nd a job, really. Prepared
my CV. I think thats probably one of the things people need to learn to do.

Through an agency she got project work at Aviva UK Life in Norwich, which led to
being taken on. Next month brings Veronicas 10th anniversary as a permanent
member of sta . Today she helps clients understand their nancial options at the
point of retirement. They might want to take out an annuity, or defer their pension,
or take some money from their pot.

Her younger colleagues are good at the job, she stresses, but lots of customers do
seem to appreciate nding, at the end of the phone, a voice that chimes with theirs.

They give their date of birth and sometimes Ill say Thats the same year as me. To
me, it seems quite bene cial Im the age I am!

Veronicas obviously glad to be working for an enlightened company, but says there
are probably some ageist employers who skirt discrimination laws by nding other
reasons to ease sta out of the door. She notices the odd bit of casual prejudice, too.

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I was watching something on TV the other night and this young girl made a reference
Oh, shes about 100 years old and it was a woman of about 35 or 40! Now, is that
appropriate? Arent you perpetuating that myth?

What would she say to rms reluctant to allow a grey hair through their sta
entrance?

Youre missing out on a wealth of experience. Missing out on the things theyve gone
through that have given them that handle on life; that will allow them to deal with
your customers in an empathetic manner.

What might help older workers trying to land a job?

Perhaps some kind of work experience, which would take a bit of the fear of the
unknown out of it and show them what it would be like to work for that company.

Veronicas chary of internships potential for the unscrupulous to take advantage of

free labour but something where youd get a stipend for a while to come in and
have a go might be useful.

She suspects state of mind can hold some people back. For some, its easy to get
stuck in a rut after passing 50 and think theyre old, and start going downhill a bit.

To improve con dence, shed advise trying to escape the spiral by striving to be smart
and purposeful. I know that without getting up and washing my hair and putting my
make-up on well, if I wasnt going to work, I probably wouldnt do that every day. It
de nitely makes you feel better when you do that. And putting clothes on that atter
you.

Any more practical tips?

1. Modernise your CV. Make it applicable to what employers are looking for now.
They dont want masses of stories; they want highlights. Clear, concise, nothing more
than two pages points where they think Thats interesting. I need to talk to that
person and nd out more about them.

If you give pages, they might not want to read them all and it will go in the bin. If its
too storylike, youre telling them everything upfront and theres nothing for them to
get excited or interested about.

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2. Get a bit IT-savvy. I speak to a lot of people of my own age group and its
surprising how many say No, I dont have a computer I dont know how to work it.

Limited computer skills I think would limit your possibilities. People need not to be
scared about the internet and thinking its di cult to learn. I think it becomes a state
of mind and they panic. Just be open-minded. There are plenty of voluntary people
who help with that kind of thing teaching skills such as word-processing a letter, for
instance, or using spreadsheets.

3. Armed with your top-notch CV, tour the temp agencies. Short-term work is a way
of getting your foot in the door and a chance to prove yourself. Take an interest in
the company and see what you can get involved in to make your mark and stand out
from the crowd.

Keywords: France Russia Japan United Kingdom Netherlands

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