Essay - Flying Off into the Sunset Commercial Airline Pilots and Mandatory...

Flying off into the Sunset

Commercial Airline Pilots and Mandatory Retirement

Introduction

There once was a time when our world seemed so much more orderly, so much more org*****nized. One was born, went to school, grew up, got a job, and spent ***** best years of one's life at the same company.

Then came age fifty-five, or age sixty-five at some companies, and it was time ***** retire. And one could expect a comfortable *****ment. There would be a good pension, free Healthcare, Social Secur*****y, and in general, enough time to relax ***** enjoy life. Many large corporations and government agencies had specific mandatory retirement ages. In large part this system of mandatory retirement was designed to facilitate the advancement ***** younger personnel. Positions in management were opened up to members of the next generation. In some fields, however, mandatory retirement was justified on different grounds. In these cases, older employees were believed to be ***** prone ***** accidents and error than their less senior counterparts. Older employees might also be considered out of touch with the latest developments. They'd been too long out ***** training, or ***** of school, ***** could not be *****ed to know the same things that the new people knew. ***** industry in which ***** system of ***** retirement was particularly prevalent was ***** the realm of commercial aviation. As a m*****tter of course, pilots ***** retired when *****y reached a certain age. Not only did they make way for the younger *****, but their removal ***** considered the same as "preventing accidents" that were bound ***** happen. Thus, the system ***** mandatory retirement in the commercial ***** industry w***** as much a m*****tter of public safety as ***** sound business policy.

***** stated above, one of the strongest reasons put forward for mandatory early retirement is the supposed dimin*****hing ability of ***** workers.

***** related issues are among the ***** rationalizations offered in favor of mandatory retirement. These rationalizations take essentially two interrelated forms. First, it is argued that ***** retirement enables older workers to "retire w*****h dignity," for example, with a perception that they ***** because of a personnel policy applicable to all employees. If mandatory retirement is eliminated, there may be a social stigma to ***** because it ***** be perceived as an indication ***** competence or performance problems. Second, it is argued ***** mandatory retirement minimizes the need to monitor and assess ***** performance of older employees. It ***** claimed that workers nearing m*****atory retirement ***** are gener*****y permitted to continue their employment without c*****ful review even if their job performance deteriorates below the acceptable level. If mandatory ***** is *****, employers will be obligated to use more careful and demanding ***** appraisal *****s for older *****, and this might put undue emotional pressures on the workers.

Yet while we can all understand ***** concerns, we should ask ourselves the question, is it an undisputed fact ***** life ***** older people are ***** competent than younger people? ***** are the *****s