There's a lot of speculation lately about what Americans talk about at the kitchen table.  Well my kitchen table has become the hub for our discussions about the state of the economy and the impact on our family.  You won't find any political rhetoric and homey colloquialisms in our dialogs.  No, we talk about real-life issues like the risk of my 52-year old cousin losing her job due to corporate downsizing.  To protect her identity, I'll call her "Jane Six-Pack".

Jane's been employed at the same company for nearly 11 years.  She's an incredibly hard worker, self-described workaholic who now balances job demands with the joys of parenting a 5-year old.  But lately Jane's been struggling to stay upbeat at home and at work because of the now constant and imminent threat that her entire department may be eliminated.  It's like working under the sword of Damocles.

Just today the Department of Labor reported that 159,000 workers felt the sword drop in September as they lost their jobs.  There aren't any hard and fast numbers on the impact on midlife workers but Jane and her fellow employees are noticing that many of their Baby Boomer colleagues are being affected by job cuts.  According to veteran employment attorney, Lucetta Franco with the firm of Sue Ellen Eisenberg & Associates, P.C., this is a disturbing trend.  Franco, who has represented employees - and often women -- for over 30 years, says:

The bad economy is having a significant impact on women and anyone else in a protected class -- like race, age and gender.  When people are increasingly fearful about losing their jobs, they're inclined to let companies interfere with their civil rights.  In the past, I've encouraged employees who think the ax is about to fall to make their concerns known.  This has allowed them to take action to protect their rights and maybe continue in their jobs with less stress.  These days, however, employers are not as responsive.  So employees are increasingly afraid to ‘rock the boat' and exercise their civil rights. 

Ms. Franco offers suggestions for employees to consider during these uncertain times:

• Be smarter, more attentive and more thoughtful. Focus in on more than just your everyday job. Know what your employee handbook says about your job duties and your rights within the company structure. If you've been letting anything slip-coming in late, taking extra days off, now's the time to start really adhering to the rules even if they weren't enforced before.
• Don't be content to sit on your laurels. There is no longer any comfort zone where you're safe because of past successes. Continue to identify ways that you can add value.
• Be the master of your own fate. Have a plan, create goals and act in an educated, purposeful way. Position yourself to see what's coming instead of sticking your head in the sand.
• Don't be afraid of change. Consider transferring to growing areas of the company. If you're offered a buy-out, seek legal advice on whether the offer actually might be in your best interests.

But all isn't gloom and doom for people like Jane Six-Pack.  Some companies actually value their midlife employees.  Check out AARP's just released 2008 list of Best Employers for Workers Over 50.

And according to Laura at The Dragon Slayer's Guide to Life, career transition in midlife brings the opportunity for rediscovery:

Many mid-lifers are saying quite openly that they may simply have to invent their next careers as they simply have too much diverse experience and too broad a talent base to be appropriately contained in a single career designation. They've grown out of concepts of defined careers that may have made sense when they were in their 20s and are finding that they are the front runners in the wave that will be seeking to bring ALL of themselves to their work in the effort to integrate their sense of purpose and passion with their career. 

If you're interested in getting in sync with your life purpose, then here's an exercise you may enjoy.  This is the first step in the Authentic Vocation Model of Career Design taught at Marcia Bench's  Career Coach Institute where I'm taking supplemental training to better help women like my cousin Jane negate the impact of the sword of Damocles:

1. Describe what you most love to do - not just at work.
2. What is it about your job that you really enjoy?
3. What do you do well?
4. List your 10 greatest successes.
5. What do you feel most passionate about?
6. List the 10 most important lessons you learned.
7. What are some recurring problems you've had?
8. Do you daydream about doing something else?  What?
9. What will people say about you at your funeral?
10. And as Eleanor Roosevelt once said:

"What would you do if you could not fail?"

Midlife Muse

Professional coach and contributing editor on midlife issues at BlogHer. 

Visit me at Midlife's a Trip.