Optimizing and Designing the Workplace for Aging (Chronologically Gifted) Workers (Part 1)

Did you know?:

People age 45+ now comprise the majority of the US population¹
Fewer older workers expect to retire at age 62 or 65²
It is expected by the year 2020, one quarter of the labor force will be 55-and-older³
New estimated retirement age used by insurance company actuaries is now 74 years old⁴
Older workers more likely to have carpal tunnel syndrome⁵

Given the above facts, it is imperative that employers start to consider and implement workplace changes that will allow their older workers to remain engaged, productive and healthy. Before I describe those changes it is important to understand the factors behind the changing workforce and the advantages and challenges (physical and cognitive) presented by the older worker.

Preparing for the “Silver Tsunami”

There is no doubt that we are seeing the graying of the American workforce. Consider that the average age of the worker in 1972 was 28 and in 2008 it was 40.6. The average age will continue to increase during the next decade. Overall we are seeing a slight increase in the percentage of young workers (18-24), a greater increase in the percentage of older workers (>55) and a decrease in the percentage of workers in between. The reasons for the increase in older workers can be contributed to the Baby Boomer generation reaching retirement age and the economic recession which has kept would-be retirees in the workforce due to reduced savings and fewer employer-sponsored retirement benefits.

Common Myths of Older Workers

There are three common myths regarding older workers that need to be debunked.

Older workers are not eager to learn and can’t be taught new skills—The truth is that older workers are on par with their younger counterparts when it comes to learning new skills. The method of training may be different but older workers are just as eager as and sometimes more so to learn than younger workers.
Older workers are more likely to be injured than younger workers—The truth is that injuries rates of older workers are below levels of younger workers; however when older workers get injured or ill they take a lot longer time to heal.
Older workers can’t provide the same productivity and quality of work as younger workers—The truth is that older workers are typically more satisfied in their jobs and take greater pride in their work than younger workers which results in the same or sometimes better productivity and quality compared to younger workers.

Advantages of the “Chronologically Gifted”

There are several benefits to employing older workers that will assist employers maintain a reliable, dedicated workforce and can provide cost savings for both the short and long term. Here are 10 advantages for employing older workers:

Lifetime of knowledge built up overtime can offset declines in work cognitive skills (learn how to compensate)
Less absenteeism
Increased loyalty and retention rate
Higher motivation
More reliable/punctual
Detail-oriented, focused and attentive
Better organizational skills
Maturity and less likely to become "rattled" when problems occur
Make excellent role models and mentors
Strong work ethic/pride in a job well done

Challenges of the “Chronologically Gifted”

The challenges that occur with older workers are due to the changes that naturally happen to humans as we age. There are physical, physiological and psychosocial changes that occur. These changes need to be understood by employers in order for them to incorporate or modify the design of the workplace to fit the capabilities of older workers. The good news is that the majority of these design changes equally fit both older and younger workers.

Physical Changes

These are the outward changes that are most obvious. The primary physical concerns are:

Strength: 25-30% decrease at 65 years
Flexibility: 20% decrease at 65 years
Balance: 1/3 of people over age 65 will fall each year
Sight: Decreases
Reaction time: Increases
Hearing: 1/3 decrease at 65 years compared to 20’s
Manual dexterity and tactile feedback: Reduced
Increased body fat composition, less muscle

Vision and hearing are two specific areas that deserve more attention, specifically:

Vision:

80% of the information we gather is with our eyes
Speed and precision of accommodation decreases after age 40
By age 60 80% of us need glasses (how does this figure into safety glasses)
Contrast sensitivity decreases with age
More time needed to achieve visual accuracy
Color matching declines with age, especially blue and yellow

Hearing:

Decreases 2-3.5%/year throughout life
Elderly adults have decreased ability to tune out background noise
Hearing deficiencies are 2x more common in adults w/ diabetes

Physiological Changes

Physiological changes are not visually apparent but they contribute greatly to endurance and fatigue issues. The primary concerns are:

Oxygen exchange: 40% decrease at 65 years
Respiratory system: 25% less at 65 years, 50% less at 70 years
Cardiovascular system: 20% less at 65 years
Blood Pressure: Increases
Fatigue: Occurs more quickly
Hot/Cold Temperatures: Difficulty accommodating

Psychosocial/Cognitive Ability Changes

The attitudes and preferences for work and learning tend to change as we age. The primary concerns are:

Information processing: Does not appear to decrease with age; however, how they learn changes
Distractibility/Sound level: More and more annoyed by sounds
Shift preferences: Mornings, less night/rotating shift work
Training and learning: More structured training
Disengagement: More likely

In part 2 we'll look at specific work design recommendations for the aging worker

References:

"In 1990, 11.9 percent of the labor force was 55 years and older. Over the 1990-2000 timeframe, the share of the older labor force increased to 13.1 percent. In 2010, the share increased again, to 19.5 percent. BLS projects that the share of the 55-years-and-older labor force will increase to 25.2 percent in 2020," according to a 2012 analysis of census data by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Toossi, M. (2012). Labor force projections to 2020: A more slowly growing workforce. Monthly Labor Review, 135(1), 43-49. Retrieved from bls.gov.

"Median U.S. age is 37.2--up from 32.6 in 1990. Now nearly four in ten Americans (39 percent) are over age 45, up from 34 percent in 2000 and 31 percent in 1990. ...this is the first census when persons age 45 and over represent a majority (53 percent) of the voting-age (18 and over) population," according to a 2011 analysis of 2010 Census data.

Frey, W. H. (2011). The uneven aging and 'Younging' of America: State and metropolitan trends in the 2010 census. Washington, DC: Brookings. Retrieved from www.brookings.edu.

According to a 2012 analysis of data from the Health and Retirement Survey, "a declining percentage of Americans are expecting to retire at 62 and 65. In 2006, 7.4 percent of people [over the age of 50] said they plan to stop working at 62, but by 2010 it had dropped to 4.9 percent. In 2006, 16.1 percent people expected to retire at 65, but in 2010, 14.6 percent planned to do so. Conversely, expected retirement at 66 has increased from 2.9 percent in 2006 to 4 percent in 2010."

Banerjee, S. (2011). Retirement age expectations of older Americans between 2006 and 2010. Employee Benefit Research Institute Notes, 13(12), 2-12. Retrieved from www.ebri.org.

Source: CNA insurance
"In 2010, an estimated 3.1% of employed adults aged 18-64 years had carpal tunnel syndrome in the past 12 months. The percentage of employed adults with carpal tunnel syndrome increased with each age group." The highest rate was for employed women aged 45-64, with almost 7% reporting having carpal tunnel syndrome within the past 12 months, according to a 2011 analysis of National Health Interview Survey data.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). QuickStats: Percentage of employed adults* aged 18-64 years who had carpal tunnel syndrome in the past 12 months, by sex and age group - national health interview survey, 2010. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 60(49), 1680. Retrieved from www.cdc.gov.