A WOMAN who says she is being denied work because of her age is facing eviction. Dawn Corr, 61, will be homeless tomorrow as she cannot get a job to pay rent for her two-bedroom house in Clos de la Mer, Castel.
A secretary with 30 years’ experience, she has had 30 job interviews in the last year and claims she is a victim of age discrimination.
No one in her family has room for her and she has been forced to give her two cats to a friend for safekeeping.
‘I’ve been for so many jobs. They say they are not ageist but I have had lots of interviews and no one will employ me,’ she said.
‘I have been out of work for two years but I am not out of touch. I use a computer every day.
‘I will consider anything, but I have arthritis in my legs so I can’t stand for any length of time or do manual work.
‘Employment agencies have told me my age is part of the problem. They also say that although I try my best in interviews, I have lost confidence in myself and that shows.
‘I’m angry because no one will employ me. I have the skills but I’m too old. It’s a vicious circle.’
Deputy Commerce and Employment minister Carla McNulty Bauer said there was demand for people of all calibres and ages.
‘There are companies out there who are taking people of all ages. B&Q is one such example. Businesses are increasingly flexible around people’s needs and circumstances these days,’ she said.
‘When you go for a job interview, it’s the best person who gets the job, but I would have thought she would have found something. There is always a need for secretaries.
‘If she wants to contact me, I would be more than happy to see what I can do to help.’
One recruitment specialist said he had placed people over the age of 60, but it depended on what work they were looking for.
‘Sixty-one is still employable, but there are always two sides of the coin. Sometimes older people dig their heels in and then accuse employers of being discriminatory,’ he said.
‘I don’t think companies in Guernsey are on the whole discriminatory. There are jobs for everybody here.’
Situations recruitment agency director Melissa Campbell had found Guernsey companies were happy to employ people over 60.
‘Some companies over here have staff retirement ages set by their head office, so their hands are tied to some extent,’ she said.
‘However, we recently placed an experienced 65-year-old PA/secretary on a temporary basis with a Guernsey legal firm for several months and her work was of such a high standard that they subsequently employed her on a permanent basis.’
Careers Service adult guidance manager Richard Vivian advised older candidates to focus on what they could offer employers that younger job hunters could not.
‘They should get across their good points such as reliability, loyalty, experience and maturity in the workplace,’ he said.
‘The idea that age is an issue is more of a perception on their part, not the employers’.
‘Being older shouldn’t be a disadvantage. If someone has five to 10 years of work left in them that’s fine, because how long do people stay in jobs these days?’
Article posted on 16th October, 2007 - 12.00am
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