Grey & Associates 1

Aging Workforce

and

It’s Effect on the Workplace

Tom Grey

President

Grey & Associates

tom.grey@greyandassociates.com

www.greyandassociates.com

Obective

What

So What

Now What

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Composition of the Workforce

2008 Harris survey revealed 33% of

workers say they expect to retire

between ages 55-64, while 40% expect

to retire between 65-69.

One-fifth plans to work past the age of

70.

2015, 1 in 6 workers will be over 55.

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Facts

The Bureau of Labor

Statistics projects a

shortfall of 44

million workers in

the United States by

2025

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Facts

78% of U.S. employers

are not worried

about the impact of

the aging workforce

on their business

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Facts

18% of U.S. employers

have a strategy to

recruit older

workers

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Facts

28% of U.S. employers

have a strategy to

retain mature

workers

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Facts

43% of the

civilian

workforce will

be eligible to

retire in the

next ten years

78% of the public

sector

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Facts

Many employers will

need to turn to

mature, experienced

workers in order to

gain and maintain a

competitive

advantage

So What

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“A COMING DEMOGRAPHIC COLLISION”

Headed toward financial crisis with the elderly.

Shifting lifetime pensions to lifetime work.

77 million baby boomers will be reaching traditional retirement age in 5 years.

People over 45 are 40% of the entire workforce.

A single standard retirement age no longer exists!

The Multi-Generational Workforce

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Generation

Traditionalists

Alternative

Names

Veterans; Civics

Matures; Silent

Birth Years

1922 - 1943

1922 - 1945

1925 - 1945

US Population

(in millions)

38.6

Percent of

Workforce

10%

Baby Boomers “Me” Generation

Boomers

“Now” Generation

1945 - 1964

1946 - 1964

1943 - 1960

78 44%

Generation X 1965 - 1979

1965 - 1980

1960 - 1980

60 34%

Millennials Nexters, Gen Y,

Internet Generation

1980 - 1999

1981 - 2001

73 12%

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Generation Characteristics

Traditionalists Loyal

Prefer Structure

Baby Boomers Value chance to learn new things

Value freedom from pressures to conform

Place primary importance on work

More satisfied with pay benefits

Hard, eager workers

Stay with one company for most of their careers

Generation X Ambitious, enjoy demanding roles and career centered

Open to change

Value promotions

Value freedom from supervision

Preference for work life balance, flexibility, informality

Do not seek longevity with one company

Millennials High narcissism and self esteem

More ambitious and career centered

More likely to enjoy demanding roles and targets

Place less value on big-picture orientation and cultural sensitivity

Learn quickly

Adaptive, Open-minded and open to change

The Multi-Generational Workforce

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The Multi-Generational Workforce

Speculation:

“There is a problem in the workplace … It is a

problem of … generations in conflict.”

There are generational differences in values, characteristics,

beliefs

Fact:

Today’s (and tomorrow’s) workforce is

demographically more diverse)

Employees are staying in the workplace longer than they

once did

Has begun to create four-generation workforce

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The Multi-Generational Workforce

Disentangling Generations and Stereotypes

How generations are defined

Generation effects versus period effects

Generation effects versus life/career stages

Organizational Applications

Best strategy: adhere to well-established approaches

to managing workforce diversity

No current research that suggests “generational identity” is

the most salient diversity characteristics

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Many Want to Work .. .. ..

They want to be active

They want to have meaningful employment

They want to contribute to the community

They want flexibility

Many need to work for money and health benefits

Retirement Issues

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Extensive Research Literature

Yet, a Field in Flux

Dismantled retirement rules

Shifting policies

Economic upheaval

Dual-career couples

Work-life balance and eldercare

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“Have you given much thought to what kind

of job you want after you retire?

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What are employers doing?

Businesses with shortages (real or predicted) are

setting in motion strategies to retain older workers,

or look at ways to recruit other workers

Businesses with no perceived labor/talent shortages

Business as usual

Businesses with no clue – no idea, no plans

Businesses that are entrepreneurial – opening new

markets to hire and serve older Americans

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Characteristics of Older Workers

Lower absenteeism and turnover

Higher decision quality

Compensate for strength loss by working smarter (more safety conscious)

Hearing and vision loss

Less tolerant to night work

Injured less often than younger workers

When older workers get injured, the recovery period is longer.

19-29 year old – aver. days lost per injury = 11

50-59 year old – aver. Days lost per injury = 47

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Older Workers and Productivity

Recent surveys show that there is no significant relationship between job productivity (work output, supervisor ratings) and the age of the worker.

Most compensated time-loss injuries happen to workers in their first year of employment.

The trend is for fewer injuries with age, though more costly ones that keep older workers off the job longer.

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Older Workers and Productivity

Recent studies of software application

learning (word processing, spreadsheets)

have shown that older novices can reach

about the same performance levels as

younger novices, though in most studies

older (65+) learners took longer to do so.

Now What

Plan

Ergonomic Issues

Technology Advances

Workforce Diversity

Flexible Hours

Health Care Provisions

Work-Life Balance

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Plan

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The Work

Environment

The Individual

Work/Life Balance - Work Arrangements

- Community Support

Action Area What Who When How Challenges Next Steps

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AGE-RELATED CHANGES

VISUAL

MUSCULAR

SOUND

ERGONOMIC

COGNITIVE

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Vision Recommendations High contrast

Less clutter

Don’t depend on fast response times

Improve contrast perception with higher illumination

Printed materials should be larger

Increase signage and font size throughout the workplace, increase general illumination in the work area, and provide task lighting.

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Vision Recommendations

Increase monitor brightness.

Increase monitor contrast.

Increase screen zoom in

software applications such as

Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Use 19” monitors or larger, if

possible.

Place document holders and

monitors at the same distance

from the eyes to minimize the

need to focus at different

distances.

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Muscle Strength/Fatigue Recommendations

Weight training can help prevent muscle wasting.

Decrease high forces and non-

neutral postures in the workplace by incorporating mechanical assists for heavy manual material handling

Eliminate lifting and reaching above shoulder height by keeping parts and tools in a neutral zone, and provide tooling requiring minimal pinch and grip forces.

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Impairments in body structures and functions often become the primary barrier to remaining employed.

Interventions Use proper body mechanics

Decrease the load

Use carts

Use reachers

Fall prevention education

Job modification

Work simplification

Muscle Strength/Fatigue Recommendations

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Intervention:

Proper diet

Conditioning program

Wellness Programs

Muscle Strength/Fatigue Recommendations

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Sound Recommendations Avoid frequencies beyond

4,000 Hz

For warning signals, keep frequency ranges of 500 to 2,000 Hz and intensities at least 60 dB

Consider providing redundant information (provide parallel visual and auditory information)

Minimize background noise and reverberation

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Cognitive Recommendations

Ensure learners have adequate

understanding of basic concepts and

knowledge to benefit from training

Capitalize on users’ preexisting knowledge

base

If training sessions are long, rest breaks of at

least 5 to 10 minutes should be provided

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Ergonomics Recommendations

Adapt training and injury prevention resources requirements to suit older workers.

Practical training is more effective than theoretical training.

Give more practice and assistance during transition to new job-related tasks or skills.

Capitalize on users’ preexisting knowledge base

Frequently reinforce safety principles

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Implement lifestyle management or wellness programs

Accommodate for physical and cognitive changes

Telecommuting

Flexible work hours

Ergonomics Recommendations

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Yesterday and Today 1950-1960

McDonalds opened

Halogen Lamp

Hovercraft

Radial tires

Biggest Differences in Generations

Technology

Technology

Technology

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1960-1970

Audio Cassette

Spacewar video

Hand-held Calculator

Computer mouse

Kevlar

Man on the Moon

Yesterday and Today

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1970-1980

Floppy disc

Word processor

Laser printer

LCD

Post-it note

MRI

Walkman

Cell phones

Supercomputer

Hep-B Vac

Yesterday and Today

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Yesterday and Today

1980-1990 IBM-PC

MS-DOS

Apple

Cabbage Patch kids

Windows

Contact lens

Superconductor

Doppler radar

HD TV

Prozac

Disposable camera

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1990-2000

Processor

Java

DVD

Web TV

Viagra

World Wide web

Answer machine

Yesterday and Today

2000-2010

USA was Attached

Unmanned Flights

USB

Gaming

Wii

GPS

Smart Phone

2008 Olympics – China

Robotic Surgery

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Yesterday and Today

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