A "Meituan Delivery Service Age Limit Notice" went viral on the Internet: (> 45 years old), "because you no longer meet the service specifications of Meituan and the delivery provider, the system will no longer be able to deliver orders to you", which has aroused widespread attention in the field of public opinion. In the face of increasingly fierce competition for employment, a considerable number of people in the workplace, including white-collar workers, regard food delivery riders as a "retreat" and the bottom line of life security.
On November 5, Meituan's delivery personnel clarified in response to the media: "Considering the relevant safety factors in the delivery process, the platform will limit the age of riders to between 18 and 57 years old, and anyone who meets the relevant conditions within this age range can register as a delivery person to run orders." ”
But, is it true that there is no age limit of 45 for Meituan riders? When searching for Meituan's local rider job requirements on mainstream recruitment websites, many clearly state that the age requirement is "18-45 years old", which is what Meituan riders in Ningbo, Shenzhen, Liupanshui and other places require. Netizen "Xiang Dongliang" also did a personal test, and submitted the registration information to become a rider through the Meituan Rider (Special Delivery) App, asking to apply for a job as a rider for his 47-year-old uncle, and then Meituan's personnel staff added his WeChat, introducing that the age requirement for Meituan stations in Guangzhou to recruit Meituan delivery riders is 18 to 40 years old, not even 45 years old. However, it adds: "If you look young, there is still a slight chance to apply for a job at the site." ”
From Meituan's high-profile refutation of rumors that there is no 45-year-old limit, to the fact that 45-year-old is almost universally written on local recruitment websites, to the 40-year-old age limit that Meituan staff said that some places actually implement the 40-year-old age limit for delivery riders, which one is the real situation?
In fact, the problem of age discrimination is quite common and quite serious, the so-called "before the age of 35 is human resources, after the age of 35 is the cost of labor", employers often propose to "not recruit over the age of 35", which always the nerves of workers, and also violates the "Employment Promotion Law".
This time, the public reacted strongly to the 45-year-old age limit for riders because everyone regarded being a rider as a "retreat" for their future careers. Many people have said half-jokingly and half-seriously that if they are "optimized" by the unit one day, they will become a delivery rider and support themselves. However, Meituan's exposure of the upper age limit of 45 years old undoubtedly made many middle-aged people nervous, feeling that the invisible safety rope in their hands was suddenly taken away. "35-year-old factories do not accept, 45-year-old food delivery does not do, 60-year-old construction site does not stay", and people's life expectancy is getting longer and longer, and the policy factors of delaying retirement in the future are superimposed, and older workers will inevitably face a more embarrassing employment situation.
The right of a worker to be willing to support himself should be guaranteed and respected. The report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) stated that "unreasonable restrictions and employment discrimination that affect equal employment should be eliminated, so that everyone has the opportunity to achieve their own development through hard work". As far as the age limit set by the Meituan riders exposed this time is concerned, whether it is 45 or 40 years old, is it too arbitrary and discriminatory?
According to statistics, there are as many as 84 million workers in new industries such as riders, couriers, and online car-hailing drivers in mainland China, and these jobs are a reservoir of employment, a cushion against the risk of unemployment, and a barometer of people's livelihoods. Being a food delivery rider is a "retreat" that is related to the stability of social employment and the future expectations of a large number of middle-aged workers.
Of course, the issue of age discrimination in employment cannot be hit on the Meituan family, which itself is a topic of systematic governance, and there are still many leading companies that openly propose an age limit of 45 or even 35 years old. However, since age discrimination is against the law and an "unreasonable restriction affecting equal employment", it should be changed, not "worse". Does the "45-year-old upper limit" of Meituan riders exist this time? I hope Meituan can tell the truth. The whole society should gather the greatest consensus and work together to solve the problem of age discrimination, instead of evading, evading, and throwing the blame.
