The Realities of an Aging Workforce

Camilla BrasherETIS 6010Dr. Carol Boraiko

The U. S. workforce is aging and Generation X and Y are not large enough to replace them.

The Baby Boomer Generation is not retiring as expected

• The total labor force will increase in the years 2006-2016 by 8.5 percent

• There will be a decline in the number of younger workers ages 16-24

• Workers ages 55-64 will increase by a whopping 36.5 percent

• Workers ages 65 and up will increase by 80 percent• The bureau also notes that older workers are

working full-time instead of the expected part-time• Full-time workers in this age group increased and

now constitute a majority among older workers of 56 percent

The Mining Industry

• Younger workers are injured more frequently

• Older workers are injured more severely

• Older workers lose much more time from work due to injuries

Rising age of Miners

• Miners aged 45 and older have increased by 45% in ten years

• This is even worse worldwide

• In the U.S. during the seventies there was a large influx of miners in their 20’s

• These miners are now in their 50’s

Pilots and mandatory retirement

• The aviation industry has long had the rule that a commercial pilot must retire at 60

• This rule was set up by the FAA in the fifties and does not take into account that people are living longer and healthier due to medical science

• In the rest of the world pilots must retire at 65• Many U.S. pilots were flying with other countries

companies in order to continue to work• In 2007 pilot retirement was raised to 65, just in

time for many baby boomers to stay

Other industries already dealing with aging

• About 28% of wastewater and water employees will be qualified to retire by 2013

• One-third of the federal workforce was eligible to retire by 2003

• 30% of EPA employees were eligible to retire by 2006

• The nursing shortage is already compounded by a large share being over 50

Utilities, Waste Management & Construction Industry

• The baby boomer generation makes up the largest portion of utilities & construction management personnel

• Next in line for management, field engineers and line personnel are mostly from the same generation

• US colleges and universities are still seeing a decline in engineering graduates

• Infrastructures of utility industry were rated a ‘D’ by ASCE, billions in remedial work is necessary

• Demand for energy resources continues to climb

General Construction Industry

• Industry is seriously behind in developing and utilizing labor saving devices

• Labor is a very large portion of utility and construction capital expenses

• This will ‘put off’ Generation X and Y because they are more interested in balancing family and work

• Career growth and enrichment, diverse, team-oriented and technologically savvy

• Not interested in a lot of physical labor with little technology attached to it

Nursing Shortages

• In past years the number of nurses in the workforce over 50 was a minority

• Today nearly one-third are over 50

• Over the next ten years the average age of RNs will be 45.4 years with 40% over 50

• The retention of experienced RNs is becoming critical

• Given the state of healthcare a survey was taken in which 65% of nurses 50 and older foresee retiring within 3-5 years.

Rules for adaptations from Goetsch for employees age 45 and older

• Adaptations for older workers must take aging factors into account

• Nerve conduction velocity, hand-grip strength, muscle mass, range of motion, and flexibility all begin to diminish

• Weight and mass tend to increase around 50• Height begins to diminish around 30• Lower back pain is more common in people 45

and older• Visual acuity at close range diminishes with age• Clearly a “one size fits all” approach to

ergonomics is not a good way to go

What must change?

• Ergonomic measures clearly must be implemented in order to fit the job with the worker

• Recruitment and retention need to become a major force within industries

• Flexible work organizations and schedules

• Career planning and training

• Safety and health within the frame of aging individuals in the workforce

Ergonomic Measures

• Task lighting is widely available and affordable and thermal comfort can easily be achieved individually

• Labor saving processes

• Mechanical lifts make heavy loads manageable, safer and are very maneuverable

• Robotic assistance is another possibility in physically demanding employment

• Workstation ergonomics increase productivity and safety in both aging and young workers

Other steps available

• Flexible scheduling allowing for part-time work or the ability to create your own schedule would help nurses and engineers who might otherwise retire

• Companies incorporating ‘Active Aging’ into their philosophies for all employees

• Succession Planning and Recruitment to Retirement Strategies

• Increased autonomy for older workers who may because of experience prefer it

Utilizing older workers skills, ‘Active Aging’

• This is a culture shift that takes into account that we are all aging

• There is a right way and a wrong way to do this• Companies need to create an environment where

age is appreciated• This requires preventive medicine and intensive

training• Recognition that older employees have skills that

the market may take for granted• i.e. functioning on a team, working

autonomously, , flexibility, mobility and a strong work ethic

Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW)

Computer Training

• Mining companies are looking at and experimenting with modular training for both older and younger employees

• This will allow updating the training and its use in remote locals

• Health and safety training that is in computer module form is also being incorporated into construction and the utilities districts which also have remote locations

• Microsoft has a website devoted to helping aging workers be more productive through the use of cartoons

• www.microsoft.com/enable/aging/scan2_large.aspx

We expect our Presidents to be older. . .

References

Are there more older people in the workplace? United States of America. Bureau of Labor Statistics. July 2008. 30 Nov. 2008 <http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/print.pl/spotlight/2008/olderworkers/home>.

Fotta, Barbara, and George Bockosh. The Aging Workforce: An Emerging Issue in the Mining Industry. United States of America. Center for Disease Control. NIOSH. 1-12. Wilson Web. 4 Nov. 2008 <http://www.cdc.gov/niosh>.

Goetsch, David L. Occupational Safety and Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2007. 278-79.

Kowalski, Kathleen M., Charles Vaught, Michael J. Brnich, Jr., Launa Mallett, Dana Reinke, Lynn Rethi, Lisa Steiner, and William Wiehagen. The Evolving Mining Workforce: Training Issues. United States of America. Center for Disease Control. NIOSH. 1-18. 4 Nov. 2008 <http://cdc.gov/niosh>.

Lavoie-Tremblay, Melanie, Linda O'Brien-Pallas, Chantal Viens, Louise H. Brabant, and Celine Gelinas. "Towards an integrated approach for the management of ageing nurses." Journal of Nursing Management 14 (2005): 207-12. 2006. Academic Search Premier. 3 Nov. 2008 <http://0-

web.ebscohost.com.sultan.tnstate.edu/ehost/delivery?vid=21>.

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References (cont.)

Spicer, Steve. "Plugging the Brain Drain." Water Environ Technology Aug. 2003. Wilson Web Walker, Alan. "Active Ageing in Employment: Its Meaning and Potential." Asia-Pacific Review 13 (2006):

78-93. 2006. Wilson Web.

Ziegler Poppen, Mary E., and Catherine S. Daus. "The Effect of Pilot Age on Perceptions of Pilot Performance and Attitudes Toward the Implementation of Ergonomic Redesign Interventions for Older Pilots." The International Journal of Aviation Psychology 10 (2000): 13-34. 2000. Academic Search Premier. <http://0-web.ebscohost.com.sultan.tnstate.edu/ehost/delivery?vid=21>.