Red tape and politically correct laws are driving a Hereford store manager round the twist.
Don Macaskill, of Beds and Mattresses Direct in Holmer Road, said: “I am continuously receiving mail from various government agencies advising me to hire older people and to offer part-time work. They say I must keep would-be retirees employed as they are very wise and can pass on their experience to our younger employees.”
“But how can I get in touch with all these clever older people? he asked. “It is against the law to mention age in a recruitment advert as this will be called age discrimination and carries severe penalties.
“It’s driving me nuts! My book-keeper walked into my office and found me dancing on my desk, screaming in Zulu whilst pulling out my hair. She found this very strange as I have no hair and cannot speak Zulu!”
It is also against the law to stipulate a preference for male or female staff, he said, as this is seen as sex discrimination.
“I have been advertising for mature staff for the past two months and have had excellent replies from 40 to 50 sixteen to 20-year-old youngsters.
“Now I have nothing against youngsters, after all I have five of them myself, but when I asked them during an interview what type of bed they would recommend for a 65-year-old lady suffering from night sweats due to the menopause, I received some interesting answers which were wide of the mark!
“You can probably see now what is driving me nuts… How do I tell all these older people that I want them to apply without going to jail for some sort of discrimination or other?”
