Key points
- Aging is a process experienced by all workers.
- Older workers are a large and growing part of the workforce.
- An age-friendly workplace benefits all workers, but especially older workers.
Overview
Aging is a process experienced by all workers. For many older adults, work provides economic security and social interaction, and improves quality of life.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2021 nearly one in four American workers was age 55 or older. Labor force participation rates for older workers are projected to increase through 2030. Participation rates for workers of other age groups are projected to remain relatively level or decline. It is important to support and protect the health and safety of workers, especially those of advanced age.
Attributes of productive aging
A life-span perspective views aging as an adaptive and dynamic process. Aging impacts your body, your mind, and how you interact with the world around you.
Changes that occur as workers age do not take place in a vacuum. In the workplace, the following factors play a role in productive aging:
- The nature of work and its structure
- Workplace relationships
- Work-related events, like career progression and retirement
- Ageist beliefs that may interfere with support of productive aging
Benefits of an aging workforce
Aging workers may provide the following benefits to their workplaces:
- Institutional knowledge
- Applicable experience
- Low levels of stress on the job
- Get along well with their coworkers
- Cautious on the job
Health, safety, and aging
Aging affects a variety of health conditions and outcomes, including chronic conditions and the likelihood of workplace injury.
Chronic conditions and aging
More than 75% of all workers have at least one chronic condition. The two most common health conditions affecting older workers are arthritis and hypertension. Nearly half of workers over age 55 experience at least one of these conditions.
Since many older workers experience chronic conditions, they may be absent from work. On the other hand, there may be an increase in “presenteeism.” Presenteeism is when workers show up to work sick.
Safety and aging
Overall, older workers tend to experience fewer workplace injuries than their younger colleagues. This difference may be due to their experience or because they are more careful and aware of their physical limitations.
Older workers often require more time to heal from workplace injuries. It is important for employers to have a well-planned return to work program.
Older workers experience a higher rate of workplace fatalities. Employers need to be mindful of how best to adapt the conditions of work to protect workers. They should also explore opportunities for preventative programs that can maintain or build the health of employees through their working life.
Recommendations
Creating an age-friendly workplace
Many age-friendly work practices benefit workers of all ages. Managers can create age-friendly workplaces by:
- Prioritizing workplace flexibility and matching tasks to abilities.
- Give workers a say in their schedule and work tasks.
- Use self-paced work, rest breaks, and less repetitive tasks.
- Provide reasonable accommodations after illness or injury.
- Avoid prolonged, sedentary work.
- Managing hazards like noise, slip/trip hazards, and physical hazards.
- Providing and designing ergonomic-friendly work environments.
- Providing health promotion and lifestyle interventions.
- Investing in training and building worker skills and competencies.
- Help older employees learn and adapt to new technologies.
- Providing age-inclusive management training for supervisors.
What’s being done
Comprehensive and integrated strategies
Programs to improve productive aging need to be multi-dimensional and well-coordinated. Work Ability and Total Worker Health® provide useful frameworks for productive aging by emphasizing sustainable strategies.
Work Ability is a worker’s capacity to continue working in their current job. It considers work demands and available resources. Work demands include work organization, supervision, time pressures, and fatiguing work. Resources include health and abilities, job skills, autonomy, and support from your supervisor/colleagues/family.
Strategies to maintain or improve work ability focus on:
- Working Conditions: including ergonomics and safety)
- Employee Health: including safety, health, and well-being)
- Professional Skills: maintaining and developing knowledge and skills
- Psychosocial Factors:how employees experience and react to
- Organizational policies and practices
- How their work is designed
- Inter-personal relationships at work
Carefully plan and implement programs or interventions and target several of the factors above.
Total Worker Health (TWH) integrates workplace safety interventions with activities that advance well-being. A TWH approach comprehensively addresses:
- Safety
- The control of psychosocial hazards and exposures
- The organization of work
Outcomes and prioritizing workers
A productive aging approach targets outcomes that are important to workers and to organizations, understanding that each can influence the other.
Worker-centered outcomes
- Individual physical and mental health
- Safe work environment
- Job satisfaction
- Ability to meet needs outside of work
Organization-centered outcomes
- Lower healthcare costs
- Reduced injuries and workers’ compensation costs
- Low turnover and absenteeism
- Productivity
Worker-centered and organization-centered outcomes can affect each other. For example, improving worker well-being provides organizational benefits like:
- Reduced absenteeism
- Higher productivity
- Fewer reported workplace injuries
Organizations that transfer knowledge between older and younger workers through mentoring and reverse mentoring programs may increase:
- Skills and collaborations
- Productivity
- Engagement
Focusing on both worker-centered and organization-centered outcomes can contribute to a sustainable culture of health.
Work culture that supports age differences
Age-related differences between generations can include:
- Attitudes toward work and supervision
- Communication style
- Training needs
- Work habits
Creating a culture supportive of productive aging involves:
- Understanding the age composition of your workforce.
- Discussing generational and age diversity issues.
- Developing programs and policies that address the needs of all workers.
- For example, family leave policies that appeal to young and older workers.
- Encouraging positive interactions between different age groups.
- For example, mentoring and reverse mentoring programs.
This culture should recognize and use the unique skills, knowledge, and perspectives of workers in all age groups.
