Age and the Workplace: A New Perspective Age & Disabilities Odyssey June 21, 1011 LaRhae Knatterud, Director, Aging 2030 Mary Olsen Baker, Project Consultant Minnesota Department of Human Services Website:

What is Aging 2030? An initiative of the Minnesota Department of Human Services in partnership with the Minnesota Board on Aging and the Minnesota Department of Health and 13 other state agencies. The purpose of Aging 2030 is to interpret the impact of aging demographic shifts underway in Minnesota, and prepare Minnesota for both the opportunities and challenges presented by the rapid aging of our population over the next 20 years. For more information on the material in this PPT or to contact one of the presenters, Aging 2030 at or call the Minnesota Board on Aging at (651)

Presentation Outline What are your assumptions about aging workers? Demographic facts and figures Strategies for cities that respond to an aging workforce Strategies for you as an aging worker

What are our assumptions? If we look at someone, what assumptions do we make about: Their age Their career goals The role that work plays in their lives If they are caregiving children or parents Other things about their status

Population is aging

Our Aging Workforce

Slowdown in labor force

Percent of Minnesota's Workforce by Sector and Age – 2008

Replacing the Boomers Minnesota will struggle to replace retiring workers with new workers. Boomers are biggest age cohort ever born Upcoming generations are smaller and less educated Average education of workers is declining

Less educated for first time in history

Strategy 1: Retain aging workers Flexible work arrangements Customize compensation and benefits including training Manage across generations Rethink safety and ergonomics – make accommodations Wellness programs that support all workers including caregivers

Need and want to work Aging workers have many reasons to remain employed. Building up retirement savings Coping better with rising health care costs Staying healthier in later years Maintain meaningful connections and sense of purpose Give back through civic engagement – nonpaid work

The Flexibility Challenge Flexible work arrangements are the most requested option among workers of all ages and abilities Reduces turnover Increases job satisfaction Drives performance and productivity Effective implementation can be challenging May be good strategy when resources are shrinking

Customized Compensation and Benefits Workers at different places in their work and family life may want different sets of compensation and benefits Surveys indicate aging workers are sometimes more interested in health and retirement benefits than wages Aging workers of all ages are interested in skills development to do their job (or new assignment) better

Managing Across Generations More generations are working in the workplace Productivity and results are linked to work environment A multigenerational team has competitive advantages

Rethink Safety Standards and Ergonomics Health and Safety Factors Physical/biological Mental/psychological Social context Don’t assume that aging workers are less capable

Use of Drugs One-half of drug-related deaths in 2003 were boomers – they represent 26% of the population 5.7% of those used illicit drugs frequently in 2007 (increased from 3.4% in 2002) 75% of Minnesotans over 50 are taking at least one prescription drug

Injuries to Aging Workers As the number of older workers increase so does the... Incidence of injuries Workers compensation claims Data shows older workers face... Lower risk of non-fatal injury Higher risk of fatal injury

Distribution of age of workers with days away from work cases, Minnesota Minnesota Workplace Safety Report, 2009

Incidence of cases with days away from work by age group, Minnesota, Minnesota Workplace Safety Report, 2009

Wellness Programs Keeping workers healthy is essential for productivity and controlling health costs There are many models for large and small organizations All employers should include support for employees who are caregivers of their elderly relatives, to protect their health and productivity By 2030, 6 of every 10 workers will be caregivers of older relatives

Strategy 2: Prepare for Retirements Overall workforce planning Get serious about succession planning Active knowledge transfer Identify and develop core competencies Recruit aging workers for paid or nonpaid work

Workforce Planning Emphasize the entire workforce and the best use of workers of all ages in workforce planning Given the demographics, much of this activity will focus on workers who are already in the workforce

Succession Planning Should be applied throughout an organization, not just senior management Should groom individuals for higher and broader responsibility Goal = build capacity (bench strength) through coaching, mentoring and feedback How is public sector different? Merit system. Political implications. Unions. Compliance. More public scrutiny. Source: DHS Human Resource Planning, 2011

Knowledge Transfer Transferring knowledge from one individual to another by means of mentoring, training, documentation and other collaboration. Knowledge management is managing knowledge that is most important to the organization through people, processes and technology. Why important? Part of “new normal” – 9/11 type events, millions of jobs eliminated and changing technology. There is explicit and tacit knowledge Explicit is knowledge that has been or can be articulated, codified and stored. Tacit involves learning a skill or experience that is difficult to document and may need to be shared personally.

Knowledge Transfer (cont) Methods Documenting procedures and processes Internships Job rotation Mentoring Work in teams is very successful way to pass on knowledge between workers Employee involvement Exit interviews “If we only knew what we know, we could conquer the world.” – Hewlett Packard manager

Core Competencies and Skill Needs of Your Organization Part of workforce planning is identifying pivotal and core roles within your workplace and the related critical skills Some aging workers who are completing primary career may be interested in nonpaid work (volunteer positions) that contributes to their community

Employers Should Think About Retaining workers Preparing for retirements and other changes in the workforce

Messages for aging workers In best of times, it takes up to three times as long for a job seeker 55+ to find employment Important to continue to learn, acquire new skills that add value Take charge of career and work life Counter myths with realities and be ready to respond Think about your legacy – what do you want your organization to remember about you and your work

Are You Ready?