ibe98765 Posted July 24, 2004 Share Posted July 24, 2004 So what else is new? Speaking from personal experience, there is pervasive discrimination against interviewing or hiring people older than their 30's in the SF Bay area technology industry. Many job ads allude to the youth requirement with keywords/phrases like "high energy level" "willingness to work long hours" and "unlimited enthusiasm" or such. "Shona Brown, vice-president of business operations, told him he was incompatible with Google's youthful atmosphere" .......................................and............................................................."Just 2 percent of Google's roughly 1,900 employees are over 40 years old, according to the suit. The average age of Google's male workers was 29.7 years old and the average age of women was 28.4 years old when Reid left." Same old, same old, sigh.... :'( Associated Press Google Accused of Elderly Discrimination 07.23.2004, 09:27 PM Online search engine leader Google Inc. casts itself as an enlightened employer that pampers its employees with free meals to supplement plentiful helpings of stock options that could soon be worth millions of dollars. But a lawsuit filed earlier this week by a recently fired Google manager offers a less flattering picture, contending the company has cultivated a culture that discriminates against older workers and fostered serious morale problems. The civil complaint, filed Tuesday in Santa Clara Superior court, alleges Mountain View-based Google fired Brian Reid, 54, as its director of operations in February 2004 because he didn't fit in a culture emphasizing "youth and energy." Google denied the allegations. "We believe Mr. Reid's complaint is without merit and will defend against it vigorously," spokesman Steve Langdon said. He declined to discuss why Reid lost his job. Wrongful termination suits alleging age discrimination are common in corporate America, but Reid's complaint could prove awkward for Google, an unorthodox company that has depicted itself as a progressive employer since its founding nearly six years ago. Google co-founders Larry Page, 31, and Sergey Brin, 30, emphasized their devotion to the company's workers in a letter attached to the company's plans to launch an initial public offering of stock later this year. "Our employees, who have named themselves Googlers, are everything," the letter said. "...We will reward them and treat them well." Full article Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuzzDuckie Posted July 24, 2004 Share Posted July 24, 2004 Yuck... Its making me wonder if that is why I'm having such a hard time FINDING anything. Geesh.... They want us to work til we're 70....then they turn around and say (in so many subtle words) "whoops...yer too old...we want somebody young vital!!!!!!!!...." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeber Posted July 24, 2004 Share Posted July 24, 2004 You know, FuzzDuckie, now's the time you and I ought to go apply for work at Google. We'll tell them that, if for no other reason, they should hire us to show they don't discriminate. We could become their poster kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paracelsus Posted July 24, 2004 Share Posted July 24, 2004 And while all this is going on..."Science News" has been carrying an Ad (and they carry very few ads) from Google, for people "excited" about helping develop "the best search engine"!!As a 20+ year subscriber to Science News...I believe I may just call their business office on Monday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibe98765 Posted July 24, 2004 Author Share Posted July 24, 2004 Ha! Suggest you go look at http://www.google.com/jobs/index.html. Check out the photo's under the "Culture" heading. Don't see anyone there who looks past their early 30's which would appear to confirm the statistics in the original article.Of course they have the usual babble-speak on their website: Google seeks to hire only the best. We conduct business following the spirit and the intent of the equal opportunity laws and we strive towards maintaining a diverse community. We encourage excellence at all levels in our organization, and are not influenced by race, color, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, or any other factor irrelevant to doing a great job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paracelsus Posted July 24, 2004 Share Posted July 24, 2004 Ha! Suggest you go look at http://www.google.com/jobs/index.html. Check out the photo's under the "Culture" heading. Don't see anyone there who looks past their early 30's which would appear to confirm the statistics in the original article. :">I should have been clearer in my previous post...I meant that (as someone weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell over 30), I will be calling SN's business office to complain about their carrying an add for a company that, un-admittedly, discriminates against middle agers.(Like I would entertain any delusions that I would fit Google's profile... Let alone have the requisite skill set ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibe98765 Posted July 25, 2004 Author Share Posted July 25, 2004 I understood what you were saying... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross549 Posted July 25, 2004 Share Posted July 25, 2004 IMO, I was the HR guy for my company, I would hire based on skills, previous experience, and based on how well the candidate did his/her job at their previous employer. I would NOT hire to foster a certain "climate" at work, but to get the job done. Google, if they fired this guy because he was "too old," is clearly in the wrong. However, the guy did get fired, and he may be upset and stretching the truth. I have seen that happen a few times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_P Posted July 25, 2004 Share Posted July 25, 2004 the guy did get fired, and he may be upset and stretching the truth.Are you discriminating against people who are fired? Implying that those fired are not capable of being objective about the company from which they were forced to exit. That they might be biased in their opinions? Next you will be saying that people that break up no longer look upon their former partners objectively. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross549 Posted July 25, 2004 Share Posted July 25, 2004 Are you discriminating against those that discriminate aginst those that get fired? I should hope not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross549 Posted July 27, 2004 Share Posted July 27, 2004 That is true, but in a fast moving company like Google, they may not be able to thrive in a "different" working environment. It may be too foreign for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paracelsus Posted July 28, 2004 Share Posted July 28, 2004 That is true, but in a fast moving company like Google, they may not be able to thrive in a "different" working environment. It may be too foreign for them.And just what the *%&@ do ya mean by that!! "I'll Tell Ya What....When I was a &*@$#!+ kid...." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross549 Posted July 28, 2004 Share Posted July 28, 2004 And just what the *%&@ do ya mean by that!! "I'll Tell Ya What....When I was a &*@$#!+ kid...."  Old people... always getting in my way.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibe98765 Posted July 28, 2004 Author Share Posted July 28, 2004 That is true, but in a fast moving company like Google, they may not be able to thrive in a "different" working environment. It may be too foreign for them.I hope you're being facetious... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross549 Posted July 28, 2004 Share Posted July 28, 2004 I hope you're being facetious...Ibe....Please understand that I did not mean that the company should fire people based on age... I meant that some older people may find themselves incompatible with a drastically different working environment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibe98765 Posted July 28, 2004 Author Share Posted July 28, 2004 Ibe....Please understand that I did not mean that the company should fire people based on age... I meant that some older people may find themselves incompatible with a drastically different working environment. I don't understand what you are trying to say. Don't have to beat around the bush. Say what you mean directly and then us "oldster's" can take turns beating up on you... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_P Posted July 28, 2004 Share Posted July 28, 2004 I think what Google has found is that younger people are better able to stay up all night and work longer hours better than people with families and outside commitments.Once you get past 30 your life changes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paracelsus Posted July 28, 2004 Share Posted July 28, 2004 ...and then us "oldster's" can take turns beating up on you... I'm Next!!! I think what Google has found is that younger people are better able to stay up all night and work longer hours better than people with families and outside commitments.We also tend to be more concerned about the quality of the Health Insurance and 401K Plans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarryB Posted July 28, 2004 Share Posted July 28, 2004 I think what Google has found is that younger people are better able to stay up all night and work longer hours better than people with families and outside commitments.Once you get past 30 your life changes. I think there's much truth to this statement...many younger professionals will "sell their soul to the company store" to get ahead...while us "older" ones..just can't remember where the store is and don't have the energy to get there, even if we did remember... But in the end...all those young kids working their butts off, make some old guys very rich! (and a few young ones too!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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