I am fifty-one years old and never thought that an employer would consider me for an internship with her company. While attending a graduate level course I reached out to a fellow classmate (and business owner,) and inquired if an opportunity existed for me within her organization. Much to my surprise she stepped outside the box that had been a barrier to me, and invited me to intern for her organization. Returnships not only demonstrate true practice of elimination of age discrimination, they are a savvy way to increase the value of your organization while providing opportunity for talent that may otherwise be overlooked. Whether sidelined because of childcare or eldercare demands, downsizing, or alternate reasons, returnships provide such talent a pathway to reentry and contribution. Although it’s important for employers to remember that both genders are affected, almost 2 million women have left the workforce since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. 93 of Amazon’s returnship participants are women. The Amazon program provides employees with a manager, a mentor as well as an onboarding buddy. Business owners and HR professionals, let’s remember to allow all ages the chance to hit the restart button.
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