Photo by Washington State Department of Labor & Industries

Over the last 30 years, the number of workers who remain in the workforce after the age of 65 has increased 101%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, compared to a 59% increase in overall employment during the same period. More workers aged 65 and over are opting to postpone full retirement. Delaying retirement may become even more common in the years to come.

Why the change? Many workers stay on the job to retain health insurance, which is usually tied to employment. In some industries, the numbers of incoming younger workers are inadequate to replace older workers planning retirement, a situation that increases the need to keep older employees at work. Even before the recent economic downturn, many workers stayed employed because they did not feel financially prepared to retire. How the current economic crisis will affect long-term employment patterns is still unclear. Since many people have lost some of their retirement savings, the need to keep working may be an issue for many baby boomers.

In some ways, a graying workforce will benefit employers. The older worker often has keen skills due to years of experience, long-time institutional knowledge, and company loyalty.

Yet, many companies have not developed programs or policies to address the challenges particular to aging workers. For instance, as workers age, chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease become more prevalent. Muscular flexibility decreases, as do strength, balance, and reaction time. Due in part to these physiological changes, the numbers of severe injuries on the job increase with age.

Faculty members Michael Silverstein, Steve Hecker, and Kate Stewart and Curriculum Manager Ken Scott worked with employees from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) to develop a workshop to help Washington state businesses, unions, and other organizations prepare for the aging workforce. L&I partners include Rick Goggins, Sharon Drozdowsky, Bruce Coulter, and Lena Wang. Scott says the workshop has two aims: help organizations understand how an aging workforce can contribute to productivity and sustainability and help companies prepare for future changes.

The development of a two-day curriculum, “Designing the Age Friendly Workplace,” was funded by an L&I Safety and Health Investment Projects grant. Workshop participants learn how to make the work environment safer for aging employees and develop an organization-specific action plan. The action plan includes ways to balance work and life as well as ideas for potential health promotion and disease prevention programs for employees.

The initial workshop was designed for general industry, and a construction industry-specific version is in development. To learn more or sign up for a workshop, contact Melissa Symon at mrsymon@u.washington.edu or call 206-897-1652. Visit the workshop website at www.agefriendlyworkplace.org. People can contact Melissa Symon or Ken Scott for the username and password.

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