SINGAPORE: A man took to social media on Sunday (Oct 6) to share that his 61-year-old father, a highly-skilled chef who lost his job during the pandemic, was unfortunately ghosted by employers due to his age.
In a post on r/askSingapore, a Reddit forum, he said he was somewhat confused when he learned about this since his father had an impressive resume filled with decades of experience ‘managing large teams and overseeing four central kitchens.’
His father even spent some time overseas, completing a few stints in China before returning to Singapore about 10 years ago, where he continued to work in various restaurants and hotels.
“He tried applying to some central kitchen manager roles, and when they heard that he is 61, he got ghosted. I don’t understand, though; if I were the boss, I’d want someone experienced, right?” he said.
“I am aware that Singapore will pass an anti-discrimination law this year, but the fact that it’s only being done now is shocking. In the UK, where I work, we’ve had the Equality Act for ages, and it covers a lot of protected characteristics, with age being one of them,” he added.
While he is not entirely sure if his father’s experience constitutes outright age discrimination—acknowledging that there could be other reasons for his father being overlooked—he is determined to find a way to help.
“How can we combat age discrimination?” he asked. “Should I help him reform his CV to highlight his career’s best impacts so he will get hired? Or how can I help him get a role? He still very much wants to work,” he explained further.
“Asking for a lower pay or settling for a lower position may help your father’s chances.”
In the comments section, several Singaporean Redditors explained that it’s difficult to prove that the employers have ‘discriminated’ against his father because of his age.
One, they didn’t outrightly say in their job ads that ‘applicants who are 60 years old and above’ are not allowed, and two, because employers aren’t required to disclose their reasons for turning down applicants.
One Redditor added that the man should also view his father’s situation from a more objective standpoint.
Besides the fact that his father is nearing retirement age, it’s possible that potential employers decided against hiring him because his salary expectations were higher than what the company could manage.
“As you’ve mentioned, your dad is extremely experienced. As such, there’s no doubt that his asking salary might be high. Maybe it’s out of their hiring budget,” he noted.
The Redditor also mentioned that with so much experience from various environments, his father likely has his own established way of doing things.
This could lead to hesitation on the part of HR, as they may worry about whether his father can adapt to the company’s culture or if he might inadvertently introduce external practices that could disrupt their existing operations.
Another Redditor said, “There’s no way to prevent it [age discrimination]. The harsh reality is that a 60+ year old usually has more downsides than a similarly-skilled younger person, especially in a physical job.
Asking for a lower pay or settling for a lower position may help your father’s chances.”
Meanwhile, others suggested that the man should help his father look into different roles in the culinary industry. One Redditor commented, “Your father should pivot to becoming a cooking teacher instead.
Hiring a person close to retirement age is risky for the restaurant to maintain the food standard.”
Another recommended, “Build your father’s self-branding and his online presence. Like those chef-at-home or on-demand, maybe. This can also look great on the resume while he’s looking for a job.
Ageism is scary, indeed. We, too, may be discriminated against one day due to our age. So HR, please start hiring more silver gen.”
Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)