Letter to the Editor | Employers should give the elderly a chance; they can always be fired if they’re still incompetent after probationary period

Dear Editor,

I read with sympathy and sadness about The Independent Singapore’s featured news: Senior citizens lament about lack of job opportunities in Singapore; they complain that companies look at age, not skills (June 19), and OPINION | What’s wrong with employing people over 40 in the office? It ain’t over till the fat lady sings, you know (June 17).

In this ever-changing era, we should view and explore the subject of human ageing from an up-to-date, objective perspective and positive thinking that keeps pace with the times.

At the age of 40 and above, it is the stage where people have accumulated the most abundant experience in life and work and have a clearer view and deeper understanding of people and things.

Therefore, the chances of making mistakes are relatively small and few.

However, some individuals of this specified age group might have lacked the knowledge, skills, and ability to use information technology and software operating skills to take on jobs that meet these requirements.

Hence, they might encounter difficulties and challenges while applying for or switching to their desirable jobs. We also can’t simply rule out that there are employers who are prejudiced against elderly or middle-aged workers.

What puzzles me is why these biased employers are unwilling to give them a valuable opportunity to try. Is it too late to fire them if they are still not competent after a stipulated probation period?

Therefore, I agree with the statement/phrase, “It ain’t over till the fat lady sings.”

In due course, we can easily notice that more middle-aged individuals end up becoming private hire vehicle drivers or security officers.

Teo Kueh Liang

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of The Independent Singapore

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