Age is not a barrier

By Gemma Hockey

AGEISM is dead in Guernsey. Bridge shoppers said yesterday that that type of discrimination did not exist here.

They were speaking on the day that 66-year-old Sir Menzies Campbell said he felt ‘irritated and frustrated’ at having to step down as Lib Dem leader because he could not get out from under the ‘cloying blanket’ of questions about his age and leadership.

And their views were contrary to those of 61-year-old Dawn Corr, a secretary with 30 years’ experience, who claims she has not been offered a job in the past year due to ageism.

Because of that, she cannot afford to pay the rent on her two-bedroomed house and is being made homeless.

Specsavers employee Gary Conroy, 45, said in his experience Guernsey was not ageist.

‘Quite a lot of the population is elderly so it is probably the opposite. Specsavers employs older people because they create good relationships with older customers.’

Roy Holland, 65, retired, said: ‘I don’t think Guernsey is ageist and companies employ older people because they are reliable,’ he said.

‘Some young people don’t get out of bed and to work on time.

‘They now bring foreign labour into the island now anyway so they don’t have to pay holiday labour.’

Brian Castle, the States’ head of human resources, said it was an equal opportunities employer that welcomed people of all ages.

‘Age is not a barrier to employment,’ he said. ‘When the retirement age moved to 65 some years ago, it proved quite helpful for employers and employees.’