Greater Milwaukee Jobs

2 GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS • September 24, 2015 cent, respectively, in 2000. Many of these workers say they have experienced or seen age discrimination in the workplace: In three surveys of older workers conducted by AARP since 2002, roughly two-thirds of respondents reported such discrimination. All states, with the exception of Arkansas and South Dakota, have laws barring age discrim- ination, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Many of these laws mirror the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967. In some states, such as California, Michigan and Minnesota, the prohibition against age discrimination is included in a broader law bar- ring discrimination based on race, religion or sex. But some economists and legal experts say that while these laws protect older work- ers from being fired, they offer little protection from hiring discrimination, which is more difficult to prove. In fact, there is some evi- dence older workers are less likely to be hired in states with strong age discrimination laws, according to Joanna Lahey, an associate professor of economics at Texas A&M University who has investigat- ed the phenomenon. "Employ- ers just don't want to mess with them," Lahey said. They'll keep the older workers they have on staff for a little longer, but won't take anyone else on." The trends have prompted a handful of states to consider how to help older people who want to keep working. In Minnesota, the state Department of Employment and Economic Development helps older adults prepare for the modern workforce with on-the-job training through paid community service assignments. Other states have similar programs, most sup- ported by federal grants. Meanwhile in New York, a pending proposal would create a task force to assist older adults who want to continue working or re-enter the work- force after retirement. NO SMOKING GUN Between the 1960s and the 1980s, many Americans retired relatively early, a phenomenon made possible by Social Secu- rity and the introduction of Medicare. But that began to change in the 1990s for men and in the 2000s for women. One major reason was that many employers replaced tra- ditional pensions with 401(k) plans and other retirement sav- ings plans, giving people an incentive to work longer. The Great Recession exacerbated the trend, because many older workers delayed retirement to replenish their decimated 401(k) plans. Monique Morrissey, an economist with the Economic Policy Institute, also pointed out that people are living longer, and that most U.S. jobs no longer require heavy physi- cal labor. But she also noted that people who are able to work into their 60s and beyond tend to be college- educated, with more options professionally, such as con- sulting or entrepreneurship. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, charges of age discrimination have risen steadily since the turn of the century, from about 16,000 in 2000 to close to 21,000 in 2014. The numbers spiked to a high of nearly 25,000 in 2008, in the depths of the recession. But Laurie McCann, a senior attorney with the AARP, said "the number of charges filed with the EEOC is just the tip of the iceberg." Most employers, according to McCann, "are smart enough not to make any sort of com- ment against the person's age, which would provide the smoking gun piece of evi- dence. So often, it's really not worth filing a job discrimina- tion claim." Furthermore, U.S. Supreme Court rulings since 2000 have made it more difficult for workers to win age discrimi- nation cases. In 2000, the high court ruled that older workers may not sue state agencies for monetary damages in age dis- crimination cases. And in 2009, the court ruled that workers bear the full burden of proving that age was the deciding factor in their dis- missal or demotion. Previous- ly, an employer had to prove older workers . . . from page 1 see OLDER WORKERS . . . page 6 Distributed by: Conley Distribution, 262-513-2646 ©2004 by Conley Media, LLC Waukesha County Independent and Locally Owned GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS is published weekly by Conley Media – Waukesha County, 801 N. Barstow St., Waukesha, WI 53186. Contents of this publication may not be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the publisher. GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS assumes no liability for any error in copy or content. It is the advertiser's responsibility to be aware of the laws pertaining to employment advertising. Subscriptions are available for $34 (non-refundable) for a 6-month subscription. Call 262-306-5008 for information. Call Center Director: Cindy Shaske, 262-306-5016 cshaske@conleynet.com Account Executive: Julie Sears, 262-306-5008 jsears@conleynet.com Story Coordinator: Dan Muckelbauer, 262-513-2626 dmuck@conleynet.com Production: Patricia Scheel, 262-513-2690 GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS To place an ad: Call us at: 262-306-5008 – or fax us at: 262-542-6082 deadline: Noon on Wednesdays A publication of Conley Media Volume 18 • Number 3 September 24, 2015 Getting to the heart of your job dissatisfaction & A Q A. This dilemma raises sharp questions both about your expectations for your work and the steps you take to find opportunities. First off, do you know what you want? If your answer stops at making a living, then you have not thought deeply enough about what's important to you. If you're repeating the cycle of "hired, disillu- sioned, move on," it's time to stop and think. Think about your core values. When you look inside, which are most important? Dig deeply into this. If you say success is most important, what does that mean? Money? Title? Influence? Then take it to the next level, by thinking about the possibilities it opens for you: "If I become a (insert title here), then I can ." This can – and should – go even deeper until you get to some emotionally resonant levels. It's not the easiest thing to figure it out, but it's worth it. Be creative about how you approach it, drawing pic- tures, writing it down, talk- ing to people. Give yourself time – say, a month – to commit to this, and see how much you can learn about yourself. Then look at jobs you've had, and map them in terms of fit with your values. Notice both where they align well, and where they run directly counter to the things that matter most to you. If you have a bad fit and it's been uncon- scious, this could explain a lot of your dissatisfaction. Other aspects could be contributing, too, of course.The serial nature of your dissatisfaction sug- gests that maybe you're forcing yourself into a mold that may not fit. Are you always dissatisfied with your boss? The level of structure in your work? The type of tasks you have to do? Maybe you're a free spirit trying to fit in a cut- and-dried role. Or maybe you crave structure but have to make it up as you go. Think about the more day-to-day aspects of your job to see if this may be the issue. If you conclude that the values are OK and the day- to-day seems reasonable, try turning your attention to what specifically would need to be different for you to be happy where you are. Have conversations with your boss about what you're looking for and the disconnect you're feeling. And then try to make the changes that you can, or work on accepting things that could be acceptable, even if they aren't perfect. Finally, turn your atten- tion to your job search process. If you move to a new job – any job – because you're sick and tired of what you're doing, you're going to end up in the same situation. Resolve now that you're not going to change again until you're going to something instead of running away. Bottom line, you deserve to be happy at work and it's worth it to do the work to make it happen. Q. I've been at a new job about three months and don't like it at all. It's not what I expected, and I'm not sure what to do. This isn't the first time this has happened to me. By Liz Reyer Tribune News Service (TNS) Liz Reyer is a credentialed coach with more than 20 years of business experience. Her company, Reyer Coaching & Consulting, offers services for organ- izations of all sizes. Submit questions or comments about this column at www.deliverchange.com/coachscorner or email her at lizdeliverchange.com. EQUIPMENT OPERATOR/MECHANIC Ozaukee County Highway Department Full time position, 40.00 hours EQUIPMENT OPERATOR/MECHANIC Full-time position, 40.00 hours weekly, in the Ozaukee County Highway Department, starting wage is $20.04 plus $1.00 shop premium. Applicants must have the ability to diagnose and repair automotive and/or diesel equipment; ability to analyze and repair electrical system breakdowns and provide recommendations on repair and/or replacement of existing equipment. Position will typically work inside the Port Washington Highway Shop's Mechanics garage. Also, occasionally on-site work will be required outdoors, on or near lanes of traffic, or in construction work zones. Applicants must have 1 to 3 years experience in automotive and/or diesel mechanics. Commercial's driver's license with B, C, & D endorsements; with the ability to obtain A & H endorsements within 6 months of date of hire. Ability to operate heavy construction equipment, such as snow plows, automobiles, trucks, leaders, dozers, etc. APPLY: APPLY: For Employment application, visit our website at: http://www.co.ozaukee.wi.us/jobs.aspx Click on Employment, for County Application, or stop in at the Ozaukee County Human Resources Depart. 121 W. Main Street, Port Washington, WI 53074. Application cutoff: 4:00 pm on 10/9/15. RECRUITMENT CLOSES – October 9th, 2015 Ozaukee County Human Resources 121 West Main Street Port Washington,WI 53074 Local: (262) 284-8321 Metro: (262) 238-8321 Fax: (262) 284-8328 Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. http://www.co.ozaukee.wi.us/243/Human-Resources Ozaukee County is an Equal Opportunity Employer 246434004

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