Management

The End of Employees – WSJ

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Never before have American companies tried so hard to employ fewer people. From Google to Wal-Mart, the outsourcing boom is cutting costs for firms and job security for millions of workers.

Source: The End of Employees – WSJ

I told my children when they were leaving education that they would be well advised to look for customers not bosses.

It’s been exactly seven years since I read Charles Handy’s The Age of Unreason.  And if you are familiar with Handy’s work the WSJ’s article should not come as a surprise.  The surprise is how long it has taken for companies to figure out how to outsource effectively.

I hope you read books.

Intel Layoffs Spotlight Plight of Aging Workers – OregonLive.com

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People over 40 were two-and-a-half times more likely to lose their jobs in this spring’s layoffs than Intel employees under 40.

Source: Intel layoffs skew older, spotlighting plight of aging workers | OregonLive.com

Intel is obviously not in the insurance business but I felt this was an excellent article on ageism and the fate that awaits virtually everyone in the corporate world.  As strange as it sounds you really have to plan on doing something else before you need to do something else.

In my part of the country the current state of the energy industry has and will continue to affect many families.  If you’ve held a highly specialized position in energy the chances of finding a comparable job somewhere soon is slim.  Time to do something else.

Plan on earning less than you thought you would be earning.  The probability of this occurrence is higher than you think.  Find some other line of work, either your own small business or a company who appreciates old people.

Better yet, don’t get old.