Article in The Times about senior unemployed women

[topcat2014]

I read an article in the Times yesterday about a group of senior women in 40s and 50s who had lost top jobs and were struggling to find anything.

It made me realise that many people (M/F) think we have a "career" but are actually sold a fiction and are actually one unfortunate event from the bottom of the rung again

Did it have a comparison to how many men were impacted in terms of not being able to find work in this area? I know many companies are reducing roles at this level in general.

It isn't a fiction though. I was made redundant in my late forties thanks to Brexit, and yes, it took a little while to find the right new opportunity. However, when I did find that opportunity, my "career" up until that point made all the difference - it gave me the skills and experience and credibility that I needed to step up.

I haven’t read the article but from what you describe it’s not true at all. A person with years of experience and seniority won’t be starting at the bottom rung. If you think about it, and that’s what is required here, a senior person couldn’t compete with lower rung, inexperienced people because they would be deemed overqualified.

I find it all really scary. How can you be over the hill mid 40s - you should be hitting your stride?
When is a woman supposed to be employable? 20s you might have a baby, 30s you do have a baby, 40s you’re suddenly too old?
i do wonder if it is the job market just being plain awful though and employers being extra picky. So any kind of gap/ period of self employment/ very senior title now going for something less senior is seen as a red flag.

Coming at it from the other non-senior end. I'm a mere administrator, worked in finance, helpline and procurement. No issues over the years. Public and private sector. But I didn't pass maths GCSE and now I'd struggle to get another job as I don't have that pass. In my day we didn't have to retake, if we failed we failed but we could still start working in an office. Now most office jobs ask for a pass in english and maths.

I wouldn't pass an exam at my age so I don't know what I'll do if I lose my job. I know when an excel spreadsheet is up the spout but I don't have the memory to pass an exam.

A career is only as good as the next position you take.

I know a man in his early 50s...worked all his life in top city jobs and now can't find the next one. He's downsizing and selling his Porsche.

This isn't just a problem for women.

I'm not surprised. Take a medium sized company with 50 senior staff, each costing £150k (easily done when you include employer NIC, executive pension etc). With succession planning they have already identified 35 people who can step into their shoes on, say, £100k. A quick re-structuring gives a one-off hit of £5 million in redundancy but an over-all saving of £.5m per annum.

Was the article about Stacey deguid? (I may have misremembered her name) she is doing amazing things atm.

I can’t remember the last time I was asked about high school qualifications. I have a sector required degree and am asked about membership of professional associations but no one has cared about high school for well over a decade. You may find you’ll be ok.

Functional maths and English are acceptable equivalents, please look into this they are much more practical.

Why introduce men, the article is about women. We face additional workplace discrimination based on sex from their first job to the last. We don't need to add pitying the snowy white males peaks to our burden.

It isn't fiction

unless you thought you were promised thejob forever?

This is an article about older women.

Why on earth do you think that everything needs to also be about men?

Yes. That’s right. I think everything needs to be about men. That’s exactly what I think.

Christ. I’m more curious about whether the article was stating a confirmed discrimination against women in this particular area in comparison to men, or whether it was a general issue for that level of role as i am aware many companies are reducing senior staff numbers.

Presumably to see whether this is a probably specifically affecting older women, or just older people in general?

*a problem

When you think of it, you have a job because someone decided to hire you and then the company didn’t see a reason to let you go. You have the skills etc that particular company needs, or you clicked with the company, it stands to reason that even the same type of job and company might not see you as a fit for them. I think 90% of the working population could potentially find it difficult to find another job similar to what they had

That would be an incredibly poor return on 'investment' (cut) for most businesses!

I agree, there's a typo. £3.5m PA saving.

Do you mean the article of July 19th?

The article was this weekend and was a response to the Stacey Duguid article. Share token link
https://www.thetimes.com/article/56733d70-32f3-4528-8a83-25e9ead962f3?shareToken=aa45de3538c2ccc3d10fee320c892118&ver=article

I think at some point the word man will get banned on here!! A logical question to ask id have thought. Is it sexism?