After years of being told she was “too old” to work, Kingston resident Fran Spears found an employer willing to give her a chance and says it changed her life.
Now 73 and retiring from NewsXpress Kingston Town, Fran is using her final weeks on the job to call attention to ageism in the workforce and to thank the small business owners who backed her.
Fran moved to Hobart in her early 60s and spent months applying for jobs without success, despite holding a university degree in public relations, industry qualifications and decades of experience.
“I was told I was not suitable…that at my time of life I would not be able to learn new things, and that I was a little old,” she said.
“Ageism was alive and well.”
That changed when she walked into NewsXpress Kingston Town and met owners Vanessa and Brett Irvine.
Nearly four years later, she is retiring after what she describes as one of the most rewarding roles of her life.
“To be a woman looking for work can be hard.
“To be a single older woman is even harder,” she said.
“To be someone over 65 can be, in many instances, almost impossible.”
Working in the busy newsagency and Lotto outlet, Fran said the role required precision, patience and strict adherence to regulations, challenging assumptions that older workers cannot adapt.
While she said some customers still spoke to her “as though I am old and couldn’t possibly know what I am doing”, most interactions were positive.
“The people who frequent this store have become my friends,” she said.
Fran said she hoped her experience would encourage employers to reconsider assumptions about older workers.
“Because you age, does not make you stupid or undeserving,” she said.
“Everyone deserves to be given a chance.”
