Tag: Older Workers

Don’t leave older workers out of retention plans

Employers nowadays may feel bombarded with advice on how to retain millennial employees. Those younger workers have the reputation of moving from job to job, so employers wanting to get the most from the investment they make in their youngest employees put a lot of energy into encouraging them to stay. But what about older […]

The perils of firing an older, long-tenured worker

by Jonathan C. Sterling Q We have an employee over age 65 who has been a manager for over 40 years and has excellent evaluations in his file. Recently we have learned that his department is possibly committing fraud in their documentation of paperwork. He doesn’t abide by company policy, doesn’t meet deadlines, and has […]

Keeping older workers: Do you risk a brain drain or offer opportunity?

Much has been said about the number of older workers staying in the workforce. Whether it’s to make up for a retirement savings shortage or a passion for work that people are able to do well even when they pass a typical retirement age, people are working longer.  Smart employers are seizing the opportunity to […]

Age diversity becoming new priority for employers

The statistics don’t lie. More people are planning to work beyond what once was a traditional retirement age. The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has projected that the primary working-age group—those ages 25-54—will decline from 66.9 percent of the labor force in 2010 to 63.7 percent in 2020. Workers 55 and older are projected […]

High Salary + RIF = Age Discrimination Claim

By Robert P. Tinnin, Jr. Q As a result of the economic downturn, we must lay off approximately half of our workforce. In considering whom we should select, it occurs to me that we could save the most money by laying off higher-salaried, nonmanagement employees. However, our higher-salaried employees tend to have the most seniority […]

May 2011: Older Americans Month

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy designated May as Senior Citizens Month, encouraging the nation to pay tribute in some way to older people across the country. In 1980, a proclamation by President Jimmy Carter changed the name to Older Americans Month, a time to celebrate those 65 and older through ceremonies, events, and public […]

EEOC Vows Renewed Vigilance Against Age Discrimination

The big news last fall from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was that  for the first year in history, retaliation claims had surpassed race discrimination claims as the most filed complaint in 2010. But the sleeper issue employers could be grappling with very soon is a significant increase in age discrimination claims. Recently the […]

Millions of Older Workers in Physically Demanding Jobs

Hard Work? Patterns in Physically Demanding Labor Among Older Workers, a study from the Center for Economic and Policy Research, examines the population of older workers and how raising the retirement age affects those in jobs with difficult working conditions. The study notes that high physical demands are a major reason for “early labor-market exit […]

Wellness Programs and the Health Care Reform Debate

You can hardly turn on the TV or pick up a newspaper these days without hearing or reading something about the health care reform debate. No matter the political party or industry, nearly everyone seems to agree that the current system is broken, with tens of millions of Americans uninsured and health care costs skyrocketing. […]

Can Employers Discriminate Against Younger Workers?

by Hillary J. Collyer Given the current economic slump, there is a particularly high rate of unemployment among younger workers. Accordingly, employers may be receiving an increased number of resumes or job applications from recent graduates who are still looking for their first job out of college. Also, in recent years there’s been a lot […]