CLEVELAND — When Nikki Haley announced her candidacy for president on Wednesday, she said that if she's elected, she would push for mandatory comptency testing for politicians over the age of 75.
What You Need To Know
- Former governor of South Carolina Nikki Haley announced she's running against former President Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination
- Haley said, if elected, she’d push for mandatory competency testing for politicians over the age of 75
- The comment sparked controversy with some agreeing with Haley, while others called the required testing ‘ageism'
- A law professor at Case Western Reserve University said required competency testing for strictly older workers could violate the law
The remark sparked controversy with some agreeing with Haley, while others described the proposal as ageism.
“I think if you’re requiring people to undergo burdensome testing just because they have reached a particular age when they have not had job performance problems, that could violate the law,” said Sharona Hoffman, a professor of Law and Bioethics at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.
Hoffman, author of the book “Aging with a Plan: How a Little Thought Today Can Vastly Improve Your Tomorrow” said that while employers can ask their older workers to undergo testing for cognitive decline, she suggests offering supervision instead.
Hoffman added that while older adults are most at risk of cognitive decline, not all senior citizens face memory issues.
She also said that some people with mild cognitive impairment can continue to work without issue.
Hoffman said that currently more than 5% of Americans age 80 and older are still working, with more these days waiting past the age of 65 to retire.