Cents & Nonsense:Grandpa broke out of the Carousel yesterday. Everyone else was excited by the night's colourful, explosive finale but he couldn't stand the thing so he just ran and ran. It took some planning with the plastic surgery and all, but it looks like he might actually make it to Sanctuary. Grandpa is 30 years old.

In the world of Logan's Run, a 1976 film adapted from an earlier novel, all 30-year-olds are rounded up and culled on a regular basis. The film's posters said: "Welcome to the 23rd century. The perfect world of total pleasure . . . there's just one catch."

Life in the post-apocalyptic future is a blast. Inhabitants spent their days having sex with everyone and taking drugs. The only taboos are wrinkles and smoking. Plastic surgery is available on demand and police raid establishments that harbour cigarette smokers.

The problem? This self-contained city has limited resources. A computer named "Thinker" manages this imbalance by sending oldies to a patriotic demise at the great public spectacle called Carousel. Those who don't want the party to end go in search of an oldie utopia - Sanctuary.

Hollywood is remaking the film and the themes are more relevant than ever. In many workplaces, 35-year-olds are veteran employees. After 10 years or so in full-time employment, these workers are less attractive to employers.

In their mid-30s employees want more money, fewer hours and, God forbid, a life outside of work. What a pain!

The whispering starts.

"Did you hear about Jenny? Yeah, she's getting married next year. I guess that's the end of her. She'll be all distracted now. First, the wedding, then babies and, after two kids, it won't be worth her while to work. If she does come back - after costing us a fortune in maternity leave - she'll be taking off if the kids are sick and then she'll want the summer and school holidays off."

Men are certainly not spared. Employers regularly take out their calculators and start looking at the cost per employees. "I didn't realise that Michael was so expensive. His last raise makes him worth two employees in their 20s and his pension contributions are getting harder to fund. He likes golf. Maybe we can strongly encourage him to take redundancy so he can improve his handicap?"

Many workers come to a crossroads - where there is no dancing - when they hit their 40s. "Do I stay in a pensionable job even though I am bored out of my mind and there is little room for advancement? Do I go for the next promotion knowing the long hours and travel mean I will never see the spouse and kids?"

At 50, many people are like dinosaurs roaming the workplace waiting for the Ice Age to come. Most people run for cover when they see them.

"Don't bother with him. Nobody listens to him. He'll be leaving soon anyway."

By 60, employers start packing your bags and talking about your retirement party. Come 65 and you're facing 20 to 30 years of . . . what?

A labour conference this week highlighted some of the problems facing older workers. Audience members at the sexily named "Active Ageing and Labour Market Trajectories" seminar heard that Ireland needs to remove age discrimination from the workforce if we want our economy to flourish.

Ireland's ageing population poses long-term dangers for the economy. By 2036 more than 40 per cent of the workforce will be over 50. Many skilled workers are retiring and leaving a knowledge vacuum in their place. They may also start draining the social welfare and health systems.

According to the Economic and Social Research Institute, the current ratio of four working people to every person over the age of 65 will fall to 2.5 within 20 years, and 1.5 by mid- century. That means it will harder and more expensive for us to support an older population. "Thinker" will be looking at how to manage our resources.

In the real world, some common suggestions include: the abolishment of the retirement age and increased flexibility on hours in the workplace. These ideas are good, but they simply put a plaster on a gaping wound.

In 1972, Simone de Beauvoir examined the isolated position of older people in society. She said it was not enough to call for a more generous old age policy of higher pensions, decent housing and organised leisure.

"It is the whole system that is at issue and our claim cannot be otherwise than radical - change life itself."

Unless our attitude alters dramatically, older workers will continue to feel that they are being invited to Carousel.

• Margaret E. Ward is a journalist specialising in personal finance and consumer issues. She is also a director of Clear Ink, the Clear English Specialists. Please write to her at cents@clearink.ie