Time to Move Aside

Diogenes the Greek philosopher is said to have told Alexander the Great when Alex asked if there was anything he could do for him “Move aside, you are blocking the sun.” Diogenes may have been sunning himself on the beach when he gave this little gem of advice to the most powerful man of his time. It was just as likely a little nudge to Alexander that he was casting a shadow that was greater than the man; that he was hogging the spotlight too much; that there were bigger things in life than being Alexander the Great. Indeed Alex reportedly said that if he wasn’t so busy being Alexander the Great he would have liked to have been Diogenes. Diogenes, known for his life philosophy of self-sufficiency, needed nothing from Alexander the Great.

Winston Churchill, possibly the greatest man in the last century, was told repeatedly to move aside by the public and then being hauled back in when there was another crisis. Not that there is a lot of sunshine to block in England, but Winston certainly tried to grab his share when given the opportunity. General Douglas McArthur on the other hand, thought the sun rose and set on him and had to be summarily removed from his command before he understood who the sun was really shining on.

Towards the end of his political career Pierre Trudeau thought that he was the sun and that few, if any, deserved to stand beside him and bask in his warmth. Jean Chrétien, the sunshine of Shawinigan, needed more sun block as he seemed to have had too much sun on his pate the last few years. Joe Clark was always running after the sunshine and never got the tan he sought. Paul Martin has been in Chrétien’s shadow so long he will never become his own man until he dares to step into the bright of day. Harper is very keen to have Martin step aside already.

In many cases it seems that politicians and generals often want to hold onto their power and position long after they have served their usefulness. Perhaps, like Alex, they put too much value on their importance and do not know when it is time to move aside. What about the rest of us worker bees, do we know when it is time to move aside? When should we hand over the reigns to the younger ones?

The real trick about this moving aside is timing. In the workplace, mandatory retirement is a very good reminder that it is time to move aside, but sometimes it is better for everyone if the older worker gets the same response that Alex got - that they move on voluntarily. For others, the realization that they have contributed all they can to a project or position, the moving aside can lead to new experiences, both for them and their protégés. In this age of contract workers the incentive to move aside is often involuntary as the term of work dictates the move. The self-sufficiency of a Diogenes becomes a way of life for the contract worker.

With the rumours of extending or eliminating the compulsory retirement age in Ontario, the problem of getting people to move aside to make room for younger workers will become a serious issue in the workplace. The motive behind the move is to defer the payment of pensions, thus preserving the viability of some pension plans for a few more years. The longer you stay in the work force contributing to a pension, the less time you will have to draw on that pension.

But not everyone wants to continue working as they realize that the sands of time are running out and there are things on their life list that need attending. There is no doubt that many workers could continue to contribute well past age 65, but should they? Would it be better for all concerned if the older worker began a phase-out term several years before (mandatory) retirement time?

After 25 or 30 years in a workplace, older workers might like to opt for a reduced work week. If the kids have left home for the last time and the mortgage is paid-off, more leisure time might be attractive to some. Working 4 or 3 days a week would allow younger workers to move into the senior position with guidance from the older worker’s experience. It would also give the retiring worker a phasing-in for their retirement years, smoothing the upheaval at home and giving a new focus on hobbies and public service. Accommodations with pension plans and unions would have to be negotiated but the effect on the overall economy could turn out to be positive as younger workers should generate more energy into the workplace.

If students had the opportunity to work a for a couple of days a week in their chosen field, gaining valuable experience, they might find it much more rewarding than taking McJobs to help pay their way through college or university. Not that flipping burgers is a bad thing, but for young people trying to decide on a career, a real work-place experience could be invaluable.

There is a nice symmetry to having older workers phase out of the workplace as younger ones phase in. And if these retiring elder workers had time to attend college and university classes as a student, they too might bring some synergy to the learning environment.

But one thing you have to keep in mind if you take an early retirement is your status in your community. If you found Freedom 55 and have been gainfully retired for ten years, your neighbours might get the idea that you never worked and start rumours like “that lazy old fart never worked a day in his life!” or “he must be scamming welfare or disability – he looks like he’s fit enough to work” or “must be nice having a wife who works!”

Moving aside can be a traumatic step as we come to realize that we are entering our final years but phasing in the change could make it easier to accept.