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LONDON, England – If you’re clocking past 50 it could be you’re too old to be a car salesman. Gary Hawkins was kick out of his job when his employer said he was too old at 52.
Silly boss! Now Hawkins is rolling in cash... and already has a new "dream job". He won an 'age discrimination' compensation payout after taking legal action against motor-dealer giant Carcraft.
The London Daily Mail reported that the father-of-four had worked at the company for eight months when he lost his job. He told an employment tribunal “a boss at the firm fired him after getting on a high from sacking two other employees” and Carcraft backed his claim.
'OLDEST STAFF MEMBER’
Based in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, Hawkins said: “I've struck a blow for middle-aged men and women everywhere. I didn’t even know I wasn’t part of the youth culture until they got rid of me. I believe I was the oldest guy working there and they had about 520 staff.
"A new regional manager took over and told everybody on his first day that if he had to sack everybody to improve sales, he would.”
Hawkins claimed he was sacked one Saturday evening just after two colleagues had been told they no longer had jobs, the Mail said. Another left because of how he was being treated. "It was a two-minute conversation. He pulled me to one side and said: 'I think you’re too old for my team, you’re sacked'. He liked 20-year-olds he could bully - he didn’t like anybody with an opinion."
'IT'S DONE HIM A GOOD TURN’
Carcraft denied ageism and claimed Hawkins had neither motivate nor trained his team. The company said other positions were offered to Hawkins but admitted other members of staff had lost their jobs.
The Mail reported he had now found another car-sales job and Hawkins wife Heather (48) said: "Gary’s definitely not over the hill. He has three daughters and a son and they keep him on his toes. Really, the whole thing has done him a good turn - he’s now got the best job in the world.
"He’s at a place where they realise his 'softly, softly' approach gets results."
Carcraft declined a request to comment to the Daily Mail.
Silly boss! Now Hawkins is rolling in cash... and already has a new "dream job". He won an 'age discrimination' compensation payout after taking legal action against motor-dealer giant Carcraft.
The London Daily Mail reported that the father-of-four had worked at the company for eight months when he lost his job. He told an employment tribunal “a boss at the firm fired him after getting on a high from sacking two other employees” and Carcraft backed his claim.
'OLDEST STAFF MEMBER’
Based in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, Hawkins said: “I've struck a blow for middle-aged men and women everywhere. I didn’t even know I wasn’t part of the youth culture until they got rid of me. I believe I was the oldest guy working there and they had about 520 staff.
"A new regional manager took over and told everybody on his first day that if he had to sack everybody to improve sales, he would.”
Hawkins claimed he was sacked one Saturday evening just after two colleagues had been told they no longer had jobs, the Mail said. Another left because of how he was being treated. "It was a two-minute conversation. He pulled me to one side and said: 'I think you’re too old for my team, you’re sacked'. He liked 20-year-olds he could bully - he didn’t like anybody with an opinion."
'IT'S DONE HIM A GOOD TURN’
Carcraft denied ageism and claimed Hawkins had neither motivate nor trained his team. The company said other positions were offered to Hawkins but admitted other members of staff had lost their jobs.
The Mail reported he had now found another car-sales job and Hawkins wife Heather (48) said: "Gary’s definitely not over the hill. He has three daughters and a son and they keep him on his toes. Really, the whole thing has done him a good turn - he’s now got the best job in the world.
"He’s at a place where they realise his 'softly, softly' approach gets results."
Carcraft declined a request to comment to the Daily Mail.