Seniors@Work has been nominated for the Prix BÂLEence launched by Gruppe23.ch. This is another milestone in the upswing of our innovative start-up company for the benefit of senior citizens. Congratulations, because even a nomination is a big step.
I write about innovation. But what does that mean? Innovation, generally interpreted, means "in economics, the (complex) innovations associated with technical, social and economic change."
Innovation is also a process, the further development of an idea, taking into account all the adjacent pieces of the puzzle. These pieces of the puzzle are entrepreneurship, commitment and persistence. It takes a social attitude, an open ear and foresight to avoid ultimately failing because of your own narrow-mindedness. And it takes courage!
Those who can benefit from this courage are all of you, dear reader. The so-called "Silver Society" benefits from a young entrepreneur. It's a give and take. And the economy also benefits from the innovative idea of providing a platform
where givers and receivers can meet as equals. However, this is not just about courage, but also about experience and sharing knowledge. Otherwise too much is lost.
Have you already been to the newly renovated hall of the Stadtcasino? Have you been able to admire the new organ? The new organ combines centuries-old tradition with the latest digital technology. Personally, I am particularly impressed by the knowledge of how an organ is built. The latest technology in honor - for correctly tuned organ pipes in the perfect alloy
requires precision craftsmanship and knowledge far removed from industrial production.
Or let me tell you about the shoemaker. He has mended almost all of our shoes so far. He has put on new straps and had the right thread for mending work. Most recently, he even went in search of the right replacement piece for a pair of my summer shoes so that the shoe looked perfect again. Our heels held up wonderfully after the repair, he mended belts and bags and always used good material. What a loss: he has given up his business. Unfortunately, knowledge and craftsmanship are lost.
What do I mean by that?
I assume you agree with me: Alexis Weil is a young entrepreneur and he deserves thanks for his courage, tenacity and innovation with the Seniors@Work idea. He is helping to ensure that knowledge, experience and craftsmanship are preserved. The entire S@W community is certainly keeping its fingers crossed that he comes out on top at the Prix BÂLEnce.
Toitoitoi, dear Alexis!
Beatrice Isler
www.gruppe23.ch
Many of our friends are of a similar age to us. age as we are. They are now retiring in turn. Have you noticed too? dear reader, that you hear so many different things about retirement? to hear about retirement?
There is the one who has worked in the same business for over 40 years. business for over 40 years. He was bid farewell with a big party. The boss stood on a chair at the farewell aperitif and gave a great speech about him. about him. The staff collected money for a big farewell gift. And two photo books were available in which everyone wrote down their thoughts, wishes and stories and stories that they had experienced with the retiree.
There is the other one: her retirement coincided with the lockdown. No farewell, no celebration, just a dry final talk and everyone was relieved, because the big, upcoming changes were no longer her thing. no longer her thing. And the young, new bosses "dynamized" and forced restructuring in which "the old guys" no longer seemed to have a place.
A person we know very well was brought out of retirement retirement with a call for help! The succession had not worked out. Another person had to stay at home as a high-risk stay at home during the lockdown. During this time, the entire workplace was was cleared away - without any information and with the statement: "You're going to retire at the end of June anyway.".
On July 14, 2020, the Basler Zeitung published an article about Japan with the title "Retirement my ass". The journalist Thomas Hahn from Tokyo describes Japanese senior citizens as people to be courted. There is There is a "Center for Silver Human Capital" there, which provides senior citizens training - personnel that are lacking in Japan, e.g. to clean rooms to clean rooms, care for trees, drive the community bus. These people over 65 are supposed to make up for the collapse of the pension system on the one hand and replace the lack of young talent. This is because 28.4 % of Japanese people are aged 65 years old or older.
Japan is therefore dominated by a shortage of young talent and skilled workers. Here here in Switzerland it sounds similar. Nevertheless, we hear and read about early retirement, about older employees being made redundant and a somewhat disrespectful and somewhat disrespectful treatment of older employees.
"Silver human capital": this word alone symbolizes the appreciation of older people! In my opinion, such appreciation should be practiced a little more in our beautiful Swiss working world. Companies could adapt to the new situation and take into account the fact that older employees may work a little more slowly, but perhaps also a little more carefully and deliberately. With care. With experience. And with an eye over the tip of their nose.
Dear Seniors@Workers: You are in demand! You are "silver human capital"! Always remember this and be proud of it! No matter how your retirement has gone, you are still in demand.
Beatrice Isler
My godmother was born on June 11, 1913. When I think back, the various talents that she had from my childhood perspective come to mind: although she remained childless, she had a talent for dealing with us children. With me in particular, because I loved being allowed to go on "vacation" to her in Zurich. She persistently gave me swimming lessons in Lake Zurich because she was absolutely convinced that a child should be able to swim. I was so proud when I could! She taught me various card games, especially canasta. She drew my attention to England because she had been there as a young woman until before the war started. She loved the royals and proudly told me about her return trip to Switzerland by plane. She could tap dance and fortunately had an old clinker floor in the entrance to her apartment. Oh, it sounded wonderful when I could persuade her to show me the steps. However, in keeping with the custom of the time, she no longer worked outside the home after her marriage, but took care of all the work within the family, including the budget and bills.
She was my mother's sister-in-law and best friend, who truly also had talents. My mother - concentrating on us children, the family and ultimately on her increasingly ill parents - also knew how to use her talents. She was a very good cook, looked after my parents' large circle of friends in the best possible way and, as a trained seamstress, provided us children and later the grandchildren with the best clothes. She even organized a super tartan fabric and sewed an "original" tartan skirt for me and our daughters, which we wore with pride and dignity! And last but not least, she was cheeky, funny and full of laughter. With the latter, she opened doors to other people and created trust.
Think about it, dear reader: what talents do you have? I'm not just talking about the obvious ones, such as bookkeeping, computer technology, carpentry, etc., but rather the hidden ones!
The German philosopher Manfred Hinrich said: "Everyone has the talent to misjudge their talent." Is that what we want?
Seniors@Work aims to find talented, retired people with skills, knowledge and motivation in an uncomplicated way. And, of course, also specific specialists for administration, for example. For bookkeeping. For auditing. For project work.
But what I want to say with all this is: seize the opportunity and apply confidently for the job that catches your eye. When you are older, you not only have a great deal of specialist knowledge, but have also strengthened all your talents through life experience, perhaps throwing some of them overboard and discovering new ones. You need to put them to good use. In doing so, you not only bring joy to yourself, but also to those around you.
And I hope that there are also employers who read this blog, open their eyes and recognize the hidden talents of job seekers.
Beatrice Isler
What do you do with your ironing, dear reader? reader? I can only say that it's worth it: doing this in the peace and quiet of my home activity means that I can simply let my thoughts wander. let my mind wander.
Today, the word "insecurity" has stuck in my head. stuck in my head. Why?
The first thing I read in the newspaper early in the morning (BaZ of 25.5.2020) that a surprising number of people aged 55+ are losing their jobs. The article says: "Actually, 55- to 64-year-olds should have the lowest risk of risk of unemployment, as they are the least likely to change jobs.". Further the text states that these are often people with a difficult employment history. "Often" means that others are also affected. If you then look at the sectors, it is not surprising that the accommodation industry currently has the highest job loss percentage. But why is the "healthcare" sector also mentioned? Everyone is talking about staff shortages in the healthcare sector! When I when I think that the risk of being made redundant increases significantly for people age increases significantly if they lose their job, then just thinking about it makes me feel I feel insecure just thinking about it. And how great this uncertainty will be for these people!
The second person I met today at lunchtime was my little granddaughter. granddaughter. She is six years old. After these long weeks of corona weeks of abstinence, she no longer reacts to me like she used to. She used to run around my around my neck. With a running start if possible. Today she stands there, looks up at me, wobbles back and forth a little embarrassed - and radiates total insecurity. Ever since I stopped her at the very beginning of the lockdown in her attempt to embrace me to hug me, the world has been out of order for me and probably for her too. for her too. And now she doesn't dare to hug me properly any more. And at the end of the day, I'm also insecure dealing with her. Forcing her is out of the question. What and how much physical physical contact are we allowed to do? Our herding job is canceled until after the summer vacation. So we have to wait even longer until we can "normalize" our can "normalize" our relationship again. And it turns out that writing letters writing letters, exchanging drawings or Facetime chats will never make up for the lack of physical physical closeness.
The third thing I listened to was the radio. News. Reports from all over the world. When you listen and hear all about war, power, greed, money, corruption, poverty, it becomes clear that the whole world must be completely insecure. The economy is in trouble, people are losing jobs, the poor are getting even poorer, the rich... but let's leave that alone. And although we are doing comparatively well in Switzerland comparatively well, you can feel the uncertainty everywhere. And then there are those who, in these times, are sneaking contributions or taking advantage of the situation out of the situation, be it with short-time working and redundancies, early retirement, even though it may not be necessary or not yet necessary.
In times when people even avoid each other on the sidewalk only smile shyly and immediately keep their distance during a conversation. I am glad to have safe values, such as Seniors@Work. I hope for all of you that you will find the right job, the committed employee or professional employee and thus put an end to your personal insecurities. uncertainty.
Toitoitoi, I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
Beatrice Isler
Why Is age just a number for you?
The number of years I have lived years, there is neither a thought nor an image associated with which I could personally. I am old, yes. I have a lot of life experience, yes. But I already had it when I was 20. The entire cosmos of my childhood was already inside me back then. But I wasn't that young able to get to grips with what I had experienced. Understanding and required a tremendous effort on my part and 'ate up' a few years of my life. years of my life. But then I was still young, even though I had undergone a I had undergone a profound transformation, a maturing process. Maturation continues and is never complete as long as I remain awake and alert throughout the day. through the day.
In society, old age is associated with many superficial clichés that try to categorize us. us into a category. Give it up. A human life cannot be squeezed into into a statistic, every life is unique. Today, as a senior citizen, I am simply still the person who has been looking out of my eyes into the world and through my body, my senses and my thinking and through my body, my senses and my thoughts, I absorb, feel, experience, process and decide to do this or that.
What do you like most/least about aging?
I felt resistance from the the fact that a state mechanism determines that I will retire at a certain that I would retire at a certain point in my life. The supposed relief of finally being able to stop working does not apply to me, and and putting myself into an involuntary retirement is simply not a concept that fits into my CV. a concept that fits in with my life and how I feel. I like working still enjoy working.
What I like best is the freedom I have today to organize each day and that the pressure to earn money to earn money has eased.
What would you like to pass on to the younger generation?
Happiness lies in the fact that you are connected to your innermost being in what you do on the outside. Therefore my tip: connect with your inner self and follow what you find there, if you feel unhappy, empty or disoriented.
Why do you want to continue to pursue a meaningful activity?
Being active means being alive. I don't like the division of society into age categories. I would would rather see public life as one big market of supply and demand in which I can participate, which means giving and taking - and thus be integrated until the end.
If you had one wish, what would it be?
I somehow have a longing for rural life, even though, like most Swiss people, I'm used to urban life life and hard work. I wish there were farms, a modern form of agricultural enterprise on a cooperative basis, where everyone basis, where anyone could live temporarily or part-time, volunteer and work, regardless of and work there, regardless of social affiliation, age and origin. and origin.
What do you want to tell the seniors@work team?
I would like to thank the seniors@work team for this platform and the opportunity to network in this way. Is there perhaps a specific need for seniors....?
Many years ago many years ago, I worked for three years at Mentoring für Jugendliche, a a bi-cantonal project to find apprenticeships for young people who find it a little more difficult. It was there that I got to know the volunteer mentor mentor Nicole Bertherin. And as it happens, you run into each other from time to time even if you don't have constant points of contact.
I only became aware of I only became aware of Nicole Bertherin again through another mentor whom I I see in the Trämmli from time to time. Whenever possible, we exchange ideas while riding the Trämmli riding. And by the way, he mentioned the project that he and Nicole are working on together work together: "Impulse A job market for everyone."
Curious, I surfed the Impulse homepage. Very I like to quote keywords from the website:
- "Our vision is to promote inclusion in the world of work and in society. and society: This means inclusion, inclusion, belonging. Every person must have the opportunity to participate equally and to participate in all social processes with equal rights and responsibility."
- "Our mission is to promote equal opportunities: To this end, we support people people with disabilities and jobseekers over the age of 50 as well as employers and companies."
Impulse was founded in 2011. Since 2018, the offer for jobseekers over 50 has been expanded. Impulse is a non-profit association.
Because I was very interested in all this, I got in touch with Nicole Bertherin. She is on the board of the association. And in times of Corona, I asked her questions by email, which she answered below answered below:
Dear Nicole, you are back from Japan. Did you get home safely or was it difficult?
Both. I was able to rebook my canceled flight relatively easily to another airline and arrived safely in Zurich with only 14 (!) other passengers. arrived safely in Zurich. However, it was very difficult for me to say goodbye. I had a wonderful month with incredible encounters. Being stranded in Japan I almost secretly wished I was stranded in Japan.
How do you assess the difference between older employees in Japan and here in Switzerland? Can the situation be compared at all?
Both the Swiss and the Japanese are literally born to work. literally in the cradle. Both countries are at the forefront when it when it comes to annual working hours. Demographic change is a major challenge for both countries. challenge for both countries. For Japan, it is probably the greater one: Japanese society is is ageing and shrinking at a rapid pace. For the seventh year in a row, the population has fallen for the seventh year in a row.
Of course, this also has consequences for the labor market. Three approaches are being pursued - the longer employment of older workers the inclusion of more women in the workforce and opening up the country to more immigrants. to more immigrants. Japan is making the fastest progress in employing older people. people. It should be borne in mind that in Japan, work in old age has is traditionally given a higher priority in Japan.
In contrast to us, the policy in Japan is based on the assumption that people will not be able to support themselves in old age solely through their pension and private pensions alone, but also through work. It is therefore normal for people in Japan to still be working at the age of 68 or 70. still working.
How long have you been on the Impulse board?
I have been a co-founder of Impulse since the beginning of 2011. since the beginning of 2011.
Is there a difference in dealing with the situation between mentoring for young people and impulses? Do young and old people approach their difficult situation differently?
Whether young or older: phases of transition can be very can be very challenging. I think we are all familiar with this. The existential fears have a different impact on older jobseekers. On top of that Not working somehow has no place in our culture. If you don't work for a long time time, there must be something wrong with them. At least that's how I often the credo. What I find particularly dangerous about this is that it in combination with the collective mood in the media can lead to a not can lead to dangerous self-stigmatization.
In such a phase of uncertainty, it is important to recognize that the future is not is not fixed but can be shaped and that we can play a responsible and constructive constructively in shaping it. Mentoring at eye level can provide valuable support here.
Everyone is talking about rising unemployment due to corona. What do you think?
We experience a lot of light and also shadows. Mentees who have just have just lost their job due to the deteriorating economic situation. have just lost their job. Jobseekers over 60, who are finding their dream job right now. Program participants who have no jobs who can no longer find any vacancies in the areas where they think they have the best in the areas where they think they have the best chances. And still others who are now even finding more suitable job profiles than before the crisis because they have expanded their strategy during Mentoring 50+. expanded their strategy.
Can you tell us what you do when a jobseeker contacts you?
There is always a non-binding introductory meeting. We present the mentoring and find out what expectations the client has. client has. If both find it useful to participate, we start. Together we work out a roadmap for the next stage in individual meetings. Depending on Depending on the situation, we may need to revise the entire dossier or individual coaching sessions to process difficult experiences. Some people want training for job interviews or support with their social media strategy. strategy.
Together with mentors as sparring partners, the application strategy the application strategy is developed further. Our "oracle sessions" are a particularly are our "oracle sessions". Here mentors and mentees are used to develop new ideas or identify concrete contacts in specific industries. ideas or to identify concrete contacts in specific sectors.
How do jobseekers over fifty rate the program and its benefits?
In the final discussions, one of the most important aspects aspects is the long-term support. The following are perceived as unique the wide range of the network and the individual support. Or as one mentee put it: "Here I always felt like a person and not a client. a person and not a client. In the program, I was able to benefit from offers that suited that suited me and my situation."
You wrote to me in an email "Apart from that, it (Seniors@Work) is also an interesting platform for us". In what way is Seniors@Work interesting for you?
Work and seniority is our common and central point of central point of contact. Many of our clients are on the verge of are about to retire or have taken early retirement and are developing a perspective beyond their perspective beyond their retirement age. Seniors@Work is a valuable platform for accessing further opportunities and possibilities.
And who knows, maybe one or the other will consider one or two people might also consider becoming a mentor. There are many exciting mentoring programs in Switzerland that would be delighted to have additional mentoring power!
Dear Nicole, thank you for this exciting email interview! It brought interesting insights into another meaningful organization for the benefit of older older jobseekers. You are doing a great job. Congratulations! And stay healthy!
.... says a proverb from Nigeria
What does "age" mean to you, dear reader?
The oldest person in the world is officially the French woman Jeanne Calment. She lived from February 21, 1875 to August 4, 1997 and thus lived to be over 122 years old. On the island of Java lives a man who is said to be 145 years old. Even older men are reported from Nigeria and Ethiopia. men are reported. However, this information is not certain.
But let's get away from the idea of competition. It's not not at all about who wins this "age contest". It's about the idea of active ageing. Because the life expectancy of women and men men is steadily increasing. It has doubled in Switzerland since 1875: Women live to an average age of 85, men to an average age of 83. Good hygiene, a good healthcare system, a balanced diet and fitness commensurate with age fitness appropriate to our age are certainly factors that contribute to the fact that we older than we used to be. And, of course, not everything can be can be made up. People with heavy physical occupations probably feel "used up" more quickly "exhausted" - although people who have to sit a lot at work should certainly should be extremely careful to find a balance.
Sometimes I have the feeling that our world is actually is not set up for old people. Yet our older are a kind of "grab bag" that needs to be opened and looked into. open and take a look. The knowledge, the experience, the life will tumble out and amaze the younger generations. and amaze the younger generations.
Sometimes I ask myself whether it is actually worthwhile to become very old. But when I read or see articles about it, then I have to smile. Yes, I think it's worth it if you stay curious mindfulness, to strain your mind, to turn fitness into sore muscles from time to time. into sore muscles from time to time. And above all, if you are at the beginning of the ageing....
... but when does this beginning actually start?
Good: if you don't allow yourself to be pushed away professionally at the beginning of the ageing process - i.e. from around the age of 60 - and simply remain active and committed to society. Just like you and me, dear Seniors@Work fans! Stay tuned! And show that you are still needed in the world of work! Let companies know what you can do and how much experience you have! And to balance things out, why not do a little yoga with Aileen Ash?
Video about Aileen Ash: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQzzS6M4HOI
Stay healthy!
Beatrice Isler
Can you still hear or read the word "corona", dear reader? Or are you already suffering from an overdose? I certainly don't want to play it down. I'm in the risk group myself. My behavior has adapted, we no longer go shopping or have any physical social contacts.
For me personally, as an elected parliamentarian, life went from 100 to 0. That's how it will be when I'm no longer a member of the Grand Council. I will come to terms with not being invited to every event. But I will also be pleased that the marathon meetings and the reading and writing work will decrease and my workload will be massively reduced, meaning that I will only have to concentrate on my voluntary work. In addition, my life will allow us to go on lots of excursions and walks when the weather is nice. In the last three weeks, we have already walked around 75 km from home. Whether a lot or a little is not the point. We've been outside, in the sun, and that's what counts.
But now we also listen to SRF radio and read newspapers every day. There are reports about the rising number of unemployed people. Not only are young people increasingly unable to find work, but many employees aged 50+ are being made redundant - even though companies are announcing short-time working. I can understand the difficult economic situation employers are in. When all income suddenly disappears, it's a matter of survival. The temptation to lay off older employees because they are the most expensive in the team anyway is great. I've heard people say that some of them are relatively close to retirement. Older employees would receive a bridging pension and would certainly be happy...
Of course, young employees may have a family to support. If both husband and wife are working, it may still be possible. But with the financial burden of rent, health insurance, daycare costs, etc., young families are challenged like never before. Nevertheless, I very much regret it when companies have to put older employees - who have often been with the company for many years - on the street. I can only hope that useful platforms such as Seniors@Work will help to provide people in their mid-50s with a good future and interesting work even after the coronavirus crisis.
Arrogance, selfishness and a lack of appreciation are not an attitude in times like these. We must stand together to be able to deal with the drastic regulations and measures after the end of the lockdown. Older people, experienced people and experts are definitely needed in the jobs to help with the process and rebuild the economy. So, dear reader: Hang in there and stay healthy!
Beatrice Isler
Why is age just a number for you?
Because age has an effect depending on the person, the way of life, according to profession or experience. Some people are very tired at 65. Others - and I count myself among them - may no longer feel physically no longer super-young, but the mind demands nourishment, for a challenge.
What do you like most/least about ageing?
What I like least is the increasing heaviness of the body. What I like most is that I no longer have to do everything. I've become more relaxed, I can choose what I want to do and I'm no longer no longer obliged to do everything in order to be "in".
What tips would you like to pass on to the younger generation?
With all the social media, internet and technical possibilities technical possibilities, don't forget human closeness and real face-to-face conversation. face to face.
Why do you want to continue to pursue a meaningful activity?
On the one hand, I would like to give something back give something back to people who have not only been on the sunny side of life. side of life. On the other hand, I still need something new for my head. And last but not least in my opinion, it is a civic duty to get involved in society and to stand up for the common good.
If you had one wish, what would it be?
As I'm feeling really good at the moment, I wish that this continues for longer.
What would you like to tell the seniors@work team?
I would like to congratulate the seniors@work team on from senior citizens and helping to preserve knowledge and put it to good use. and put it to good use.
Have you already heard or read about it? The National Council wants "not skimp" on a bridging pension for unemployed people over 60 who have lost their jobs but wants to use this pension to help people without work. with this pension.
That's great, isn't it? There is a federal law on bridging benefits for older unemployed people, as one of seven measures to "solve the problem". The aim was to cover the minimum subsistence level. It was noted that the social assistance rate in the age group between 56 to 64 age group has risen by 47 percent.
SP National Councillor Barbara Gysi said: "Those affected are threatened with an old age in insecurity instead of an old age in dignity". Of course, older unemployed unemployed have worked for years, paid taxes and contributed their know-how. This bridging pension is intended to create prospects.
Please don't get me wrong, dear reader of this blog. reader of this blog.
But hand on heart: can perspectives be bought with money?
Of course, with more money you have more opportunities for excursions, shopping, going to the theater, culture and society - perhaps. But wouldn't the right perspective be to have a job in which you are appreciated, where you can contribute and prove yourself? Shouldn't shouldn't the economy get involved here? Shouldn't the economy be given incentives to set off with older employees? Shouldn't the not recognize that older employees generally have a high value? have a high value? After all, they are committed, they are unlikely to change jobs any more change jobs (in economic terms, a change in personnel is calculated as a whole annual salary), they bring know-how with them, they no longer get pregnant. pregnant.....
If I were a member of the National Council, I would vote for this law. "Yes, but..." vote. In the hope that fewer money worries will encourage older unemployed people to apply more. But I would really give the economy a boost. Oh, how I would love to do that!
