Linda (not her real
name) is considering suicide. After being
unemployed for over a year, and having applied to more jobs than she can
remember, she finally had a real chance for a job.
She anxiously waited for
three weeks while the company screened more candidates and tried not to get her
hopes up. Something that’s easier said
than done. On the one hand she knew that
an interview didn’t promise a job, but the interview had gone so well and she
was perfect for the job.
This morning she found
out that the company has hired someone else and through dumb luck she found out
who had beaten her … a 25 year old woman (Amanda)
with 3 kids, all under 5 years old.
Linda doesn’t have the
will to carry on anymore. It’s bad
enough to lose out on a job, but to a woman with three young kids!
Of course, the
organization who hired Amanda has no idea of her family situation. After all, asking a job candidate how old she
is, whether or not she’s married, if she has any children and their ages is against the law.
The organization is
about to find out though, when the kids get sick and Amanda needs time off. It’s bad enough when one get measles, chicken
pocks or another child’s disease, but in this case it’s times three. Not to mention a number of other things that
can go wrong with a child that age.
Linda on the other hand
is a 59 year old woman with no family ties.
She has no kids who will keep her awake at night, get sick or have
accidents at the playground. She will
show up for work on time, every time and the word “time off” is not in her
vocabulary.
Is it wrong for Linda to
consider packing it in and leaving this world?
Maybe, maybe not. It sure would
send a message to all those stupid employers who see a pretty girl and hire
her, regardless of her qualifications, experience and family situation and
throw a perfectly qualified older candidate to the curb.
