Unfair Treatment to Old Employees

In the years, we have seen old employees losing out when new bloods comes to the organization. They will struggle to cling on their employment and the society seem treating them unfairly.

Some organization feels old employees are too costly and productive are low. With the same amount, they could employ a degree holder that could out-perform the old employee and product sound results.

In foreign country like UK, Swiss and some others, these old employees are treasure. They are solid experience and knowledge that could mentor the junior.

Just don't understand how Singapore works!!!!

To be fair some old employees do seem to be more trouble. I have 3 old timers in my company 2 of them are okay and very serious about their work but the 3rd...needless to say boss favourite never do much work always create trouble but boss sides and protects him. In fact the other 2 old timers also cannot get along with him!

Indeed some old timers are more troubled but there are also some that don't care. They just do their part and don't accept new task. They report punctually and so do they leave punctually. At time the management really got big headache with this kind of people.

Jade Rabbit said:

To be fair some old employees do seem to be more trouble. I have 3 old timers in my company 2 of them are okay and very serious about their work but the 3rd...needless to say boss favourite never do much work always create trouble but boss sides and protects him. In fact the other 2 old timers also cannot get along with him!

Click to expand...

My previous American company being a very good Employer also has its down fall, what happened they have too many heavy weighs, Managers, Regional Managers that flys all over the world but not productive at all, and the Employer still think they a Pot Of Gold. IMHO They should be sacked long time ago.

They are what I called Toa Pek Kong, or Chief Sitting Bull!! High salary, some time sitting the office whole day looking and surfing internet. Unfortunately the lower runk were retrenched!! That's why this Fortune 500 company from the US today are smaller than some PRC company in China.

For being too complacent! Too many Chief Sitting Bull!!

Happy2004 said:

Indeed some old timers are more troubled but there are also some that don't care. They just do their part and don't accept new task. They report punctually and so do they leave punctually. At time the management really got big headache with this kind of people.

Click to expand...

Usually these old timers either Collecting or collected CPF so just doing the job to earn coffee money. But luckily those 2 old timers can really work so 2 out of 3 not so bad.

Jade Rabbit said:

Usually these old timers either Collecting or collected CPF so just doing the job to earn coffee money. But luckily those 2 old timers can really work so 2 out of 3 not so bad.

Click to expand...

Possible. Anyway since that only old timers is boss's pet, nothing much can be done unless change boss. HaHa

sometimes i find that the old people, being too long in the company gets very complacent. They will not do anything drastic to rock the boat, and perhaps ruin their retirement in a couple of years time.

But these are not organisation stardard though... some of the older folks i know has been very good driving forces in some of the companies i worked with before.

All in all, i think if the older folks don't contribute, i have no qualms replacing them with newbies, new mindset and new driving forces.

Being an old bird doesn't directly translated into being productive. It's all depends on their mindset and attitude towards work.

Foursome said:

..Some organization feels old employees are too costly and productive are low. With the same amount, they could employ a degree holder that could out-perform the old employee and product sound results.....

Click to expand...

Bro Foursome, I assume you are talking about the old staff that is still contributing steadily just to cling on to the job, yes, I do observe many companies just feel that new blodd is better.

On the other hand, you have the old stuff that works as if he is the founder of the company refused to change and new stuff have to bend for this stubborn principle, in that case should the company not react they will also force out of business very soon.

Foursome said:

In the years, we have seen old employees losing out when new bloods comes to the organization. They will struggle to cling on their employment and the society seem treating them unfairly.

Some organization feels old employees are too costly and productive are low. With the same amount, they could employ a degree holder that could out-perform the old employee and product sound results.

In foreign country like UK, Swiss and some others, these old employees are treasure. They are solid experience and knowledge that could mentor the junior.

Just don't understand how Singapore works!!!!

Click to expand...

Gos, i think there must be something wrong with the old pple.

Foursome said:

In foreign country like UK, Swiss and some others, these old employees are treasure. They are solid experience and knowledge that could mentor the junior.

Click to expand...

My experience has lead me to believe that older employees are pretty useless.

"Experience" means nothing in this day and age. Technology, organisation structure and communication methods are in a constant state of flux. Things can change completely in 6 months.

I spent many years of my life between the late 80s and mid 90s getting rid of deadwood . Take one of the managers that I inherited as an example. He was old school and was in his early 50s. His job was to manage the equipment calibration section.

Try as I may, I could not convince the old fart to computerise the section. He handwrote everything into a book instead of using a lotus 1,2,3 (hot software at the time) program that was tailored to the job.

He claimed that his exercise book with ruler drawn pencil lines was better than any computer and that his "experience" told him that this was the best way of keeping track of things.

I sent him to attend lotus programming classes and he came back just as useless and even more stubborn that HIS way was superior.

I fired him the following week and hired a poly grad to take his place. The system was computerised in less than a month! I was overjoyed and was kicking myself for not firing that stupid old man the very day I joined the company.

The only reason why old farts are still working in the countries you mention is because of the risk of an employment law dispute. If Singapore companies were subject to the same employment laws that are imposed upon employers in Sweden, Switzerland the UK etc, the whole country would have closed shop a long time ago.

the older one is, the harder it is for one to change. but Sam's story is a warning to all of us to be flexible and amenable to changes when we grow older.

shOUTloud said:

the older one is, the harder it is for one to change. but Sam's story is a warning to all of us to be flexible and amenable to changes when we grow older.

Click to expand...

Old people can't change. That's just a simple fact of life. By the time people reach their mid 40s, they are set in their ways. Even brilliant minds did their best work when they were young.. eg Einstein, Newton.

I'm now a stupid old fart myself. The difference is that I know how useless I am so I don't even try to pretend that I can match the drive and creativity of a person half my age.

Nobody should work in an organisation beyond the age of 55. It's not fair to the rest of the employees who have to put up with the cranky, stubborn old men and their dinosaur mentalities.

If it wasn't for vbulletin software, this forum would still look like a basic guestbook. That's how backward I am when it comes to web design.

shOUTloud said:

the older one is, the harder it is for one to change. but Sam's story is a warning to all of us to be flexible and amenable to changes when we grow older.

Click to expand...

Actually it is not hard to change just need motivation. Improve or get fired! :p

The best example of bumbling old fart that is way past his time... LKY

Leongsam said:

The best example of bumbling old fart that is way past his time... LKY

Click to expand...

That is why there is a Minister Mentor Office to help clear his behind....

http://www.sammyboy.com/showthread.php?t=136

Leongsam said:

The best example of bumbling old fart that is way past his time... LKY

Click to expand...

Getting old and senile but still refusing to take a back seat.

tonychat said:

Gos, i think there must be something wrong with the old pple.

Click to expand...

all of us will be olds one day?

I handle quite a number of senior citizens working with me and may I tell you not all of them are that bad. Some are actually quite flexible but some really very stubborn and totally lazy!!! In the working world there are always good and bad ppl some rotten apples really just spoil the whole market sigh....what to do. Really dun hope to work till 80 myself and hopefulle I can save enough to retire early^^

Leongsam said:

Old people can't change. That's just a simple fact of life. By the time people reach their mid 40s, they are set in their ways. Even brilliant minds did their best work when they were young.. eg Einstein, Newton.

I'm now a stupid old fart myself. The difference is that I know how useless I am so I don't even try to pretend that I can match the drive and creativity of a person half my age.

Nobody should work in an organisation beyond the age of 55. It's not fair to the rest of the employees who have to put up with the cranky, stubborn old men and their dinosaur mentalities.

If it wasn't for vbulletin software, this forum would still look like a basic guestbook. That's how backward I am when it comes to web design.

Click to expand...

I guess staying out of sg will allow a person to have a balance view in things.