Many employees 80 years and older want to keep working. This is due to an economic necessity as well as a life-style choice. Employers need to recognize the changing demographics of this country and allow their employees age 85 and older to remain employed.
Persons frequently think of the generic class of seniors as those age 65 and older. Today, the most rapidly growing segment of the generic "senior" age group are persons in the more upper end of this senior age group, i.e., those who are age 85 and older. Persons aged 85 and over are the most rapidly growing senior age group in the United States according to the Census Bureau.
Employees Age 85 and Older May be Pressured to Resign
As already reported, the entire population of the United States grew 45 percent between the years 1960 and 1994 as compared to the population growth of those age 65 and older, which rose 100 percent during this same period. However, the most rapidly growing segment of the generic "senior" population, today are persons in the upper end of the senior population, persons who are 85 years of age and older.
Persons Who are 85 Years of Age and Older Are the Most Rapidly Growing Senior Age Group in the United States.
The rate of growth of population aged 85 and older is almost triple that of the rate of growth of the generic class of seniors, i.e., those age 65 and older.
According to the government's projections, the number of persons in the generic senior population, those age 65 and older, will more than double to 80,000.000 by the year 2050. By that year, as many as 1 in 5 persons living in the United States could be age 65 and older.
The increase in age demographics is more startling for those in the upper end of the senior population, for those who are age 85 and older. The increase in population of seniors in the United States, age 85 and older numbered 3,000,000 in 1994, but it is projected that persons in the United States who are age 85 and older will number 19,000,000 by 2050. To put it succinctly, seniors 85 and older will make up 24 percent of the generic senior American population by 2050. One in 20 Americans will be 85 and older. Employees age 85 and older may be subjected to inappropriate questions and age bias comments. Employers need to recognize the resulting changing demographics of the workforce and allow for those age 85 and older to remain employed.
In New Jersey, persons filing age discrimination lawsuits can file directly in State Court under the NJLAD without having to first exhaust the time-consuming filing and process of an administrative ADEA claim with an agency.
We all age.
What You Can Do
I am an aggressive and compassionate employment law attorney who is successful in bringing age discrimination lawsuits and recovering money for workers who were subjected to age discrimination. I have successfully represented seniors and octogenarians who were employees of public entities and private employers, who were either terminated or forced out of their employment because of their employer's age bias and was successful in obtaining monetary compensation for them.
If you are being subjected to such unlawful workplace age discrimination, contact Hope A. Lang, Attorney at Law today for a free consultation.
New Jersey employment attorney, Hope A. Lang, Attorney at Law serves clients throughout the state, including Bergen, Middlesex, Essex, Hudson, Monmouth, Ocean, Union, Camden, Passaic, and Morris Counties with locations in Southern, Central, Western and Northern NJ to meet with clients.