AARP Issues Report on Job Training for Older Workers in Alabamat

According to AARP, over the past five years, 59% of Alabama workers age 40 and over have participated in job-related skills training or education programs offered to them by an employer, and 86% of them indicate they personally have not had to pay for that training. These are some of the results of a survey commissioned by AARP to gain a deeper understanding of the perspective, skills, and needs of older workers in the state to better provide them with focused, targeted information and resources.

The full report "Job Skills Training and Opportunities: Opinions and Perceptions of Alabama Workers Age 40+", authored by Jennifer H. Sauer and Cassandra Burton, also finds that 86% of older workers are satisfied with the work-related training opportunities offered through their employers, with 60% saying they are extremely or very satisfied, and another 26% indicating they are somewhat satisfied. Looking forward, 51% said they were extremely or very likely to engage in any job training through their employer over the next five years, but 31% said they were not likely to do so. In addition, 52% did not think that additional job training would help them advance in their job or help get a better job.

On worker attitudes towards employment as they get older, the survey reports that, among all Alabama workers and those looking for work, 40% plan to continue working at their current job either full or part-time when they reach retirement age. "For the majority of respondents, needing or wanting additional income (84%), enjoying work (84%), building up a personal savings (79%), and maintaining health coverage for themselves or their families (72%) are major/minor factors in deciding to work beyond retirement."

Source: AARP Knowledge Management Survey Report (October 2009)

Study: Younger Workers Hurt More by Recession; Older Workers Show Resilience

According to a study published by Boston College's Sloan Center on Aging & Work, younger workers are bearing the brunt of the current economic crisis, while older employees show greater resiliency in a recession-battered workplace where employers seek to do more with less. Specifically, in "The difference a downturn can make: Assessing the Early Effects of the Economic Crisis on the Employment Experiences of Workers", while researchers found employees of all ages reporting a drop in employee engagement (a measure of how invested and enthusiastic employees are in their work),

Workers among "Generation Y" – ages 26 and younger – report the greatest decrease in engagement. Those slightly older workers in "Generation X" – ages 27 to 42 – reported less of a decrease, while Baby Boomers and older "Traditionalists" – ages 43 or older – reported that their levels of engagement hardly changed at all.

Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes, director of the Center, suggests that "[s]ome older workers have been through recessions before and that gives them experiential resilience." Furthermore, she comments that "[s]avvy employers will leverage older workers' experience to help younger workers manage through turbulence," and "hat sense of resilience can help organizations remain energized and passionate."

Source: Sloan Center on Aging & Work Stages (June 2009)

Survey: Baby Boomers in United Kingdom Shifting Attitudes towards Retirement

A survey conducted by Standard Life shows a transformation in attitudes to retirement amongst the baby boomer generation. As presented to a Reform debate on "The Death of Retirement," the research found, among other things, that rather than retirement being when they stop work, 39.3% of adults in the United Kingdom (rising to 42% of 46-65 year olds who are wealthier) want to continue to be involved at work but on their own terms, whereas only 15% of their parent's generation wanted to stay in some kind of work at retirement.

Andrew Haldenby, Director, REFORM commented: "This debate shows there is clear support for the idea of an active retirement and the fact that people need to take more control. Government needs to do more to encourage that." Nigel Waterson MP, Shadow Pensions Minister said: "Retirement should be less of an event and more of a process. We need to move away from the notion of pensions towards long term savings. It's all about flexible retirement."

Source: Standard Life Press Release (February 4, 2009)

Research: Dissertation Questions Whether Longer Working Life is Good for Everyone

According to a doctoral thesis written by Björn Ohlsson for the Department of Ethnology, University of Gothenburg, following life history interviews with 16 workers aged between 49 and 62 at Volvo's Torslanda plant, a prolonged working life is not seen as desirable by the workers for three main reasons: health issues brought about through long-term physical labour, especially as regards the women, less motivation caused by a sense of subordination, diminished influence and fewer opportunities at work when ageing, and finally the frequent pension scheme offers by the company.

In "We who stayed at Volvo--an ethnological study of senior automobile-industry blue-collar workers' working-lives and future plans" (and see English summary), Ohlsson reveals that things can be particularly tough for certain groups of industrial workers. This is due to the fact that they have had a long and arduous working life, and that changes in the workplace have resulted in diminished opportunities for older people to stay on. While the thesis reports that all of them want to retire before 65, they stress how much work has meant to them, and to some extent, how much it still means. they emphasize in particular the sense of community that exists in a workplace, and the experience of continuity that work provides. In addition, the relatively well paid work has provided them with the opportunity to create a good life materially with a sense of pride and dignity.

See also Arkipelag, which is publishing the thesis.

Source: University of Gothenburg Press Release (January 20, 2009);

Singapore: Survey Shows Many Boomers Want To Work Past Retirement Age

The "first ever" survey of baby boomers in Singapore finds that boomers want to remain active in their "golden years." According to the Ministry of Community Development and Sports, more than 70% of boomers (those aged 43 to 60) were in the workforce or looking for work, almost half wished to or expected to have to work as long as they could, and, among those who specified an age at which to retire from work, about 30% expected to do so at age 65 or older, beyond the current retirement age of 62.

With respect to continued work, 36% of boomers desired to work part time. In addition, the top three conditions that these boomers look for in post-retirement work were flexible work, similar income, and fewer hours of work. For university-educated boomers, a stimulating workplace and the chance to guide or mentor younger workers were more important attributes than income continuity and work hours.

Sources: Ministry of Community Development and Sports Press Release (January 9, 2009); Channel News Asia "Survey shows 3 in 10 expect to retire at age 65 or older" (January 9, 2009)

Survey: Older Workers Less Inclined To Impress Boss To Ensure Job Security

A recent Ranstad USA survey suggests that the turbulent economy may be forging stronger ties as employees look to shore up their job security, but that older employees are less inclined to flexibility. While 72% of employees would do something to impress their boss, this declines to 62% for workers 55 and older. Similar differences appear for each of the kind of thing than an employee might be willing to do to create more job security:

• take on additional work or responsibilities: 57% overall, 53% mature employees;
• work overtime to create more job security: 47% of all employees, 36% mature employees;
• stay late/come in early to show additional face time: 40% all employees, 22% mature employees;
• social with boss outside of office: 15% all employees, 4% mature employees;
• do personal favors, such as run errands: 11% all employees, 8% mature employees.

Overall, the survey finds that 77% of employees said they positively relate to their boss and 64% characterize their bosses in complimentary terms. Ranstad USA suggests that this "level of favorability may be a direct result of companies’ recent focus on creating better workplace environments and designing more employee-centric programs and tools."

"Employees’ professional development and morale should always be a priority for employers, and especially in an economic slowdown when employees may feel additional burdens," said Eric Buntin, managing director, marketing and operations for Randstad USA. "A healthy employee-employer relationship based on mutual respect greatly contributes to an overall positive workplace attitude. Employers who connect with their employees create an environment where workers are more engaged in their jobs and, thus, more productive. This can positively impact the bottom line."

Source: Ranstad USA Press Release (October 20, 2008)

Sun Life Creates Unretirement Index: Measures Attitudes and Expectations towards Iissues Influencing Retirement

Sun Life Financial, Inc., had released its Unretirement Index to track the changing attitudes and expectations American workers have regarding retirement. It plans to release the Index multiple times each year and use it to gauge how economic, financial and societal forces are affecting working Americans, and forecast their future retirement decisions.

According to its initial release, 48% of the U.S. workforce believes it will still be working at the traditional retirement age of 67, and four of the five top reasons given were not financial in nature. Thus, for example, the most cited reason for continuing to work (83%) was "to stay mentally engaged."

"As our workforce evolves and attitudes are impacted by economic conditions and world events, the nature of retirement in America evolves as well," said Bob Salipante, President, Sun Life Financial U.S. "Traditional views on retirement are quickly evolving and more Americans are choosing to be unretired. This Index for the first time shows how changes in the economy, politics, healthcare and lifestyle are all critical factors in more and more Americans choosing to continue working during traditional retirement years."

Source: Sun Life Financial News Release (October 1, 2008)

Survey: Generational Issues Surface among Workplace Fears of Older Baby Boom Workers

According to a study based on in-depth interviews with 50 over-50 workers, fear of redundancy (layoffs, firings), relevance (keeping skills current), and resentment from younger associates are the greatest concerns for the Baby Boom generation. The research on "Ageism: Managing on the Bias" was conducted by Age Lessons.

Laurel Kennedy, president of Age Lessons, summarized key findings, "Older workers believe that younger associates drop them from critical informal communications networks, turning the office grapevine into a sour grapevine and blocking access to important political and business developments." Another key finding was defined as senior shutout, where companies inadvertently close-off career paths and training opportunities to mature workers, assuming that they either are uninterested or unwilling to accept a new challenge."

Kennedy suggested a number of fixes that companies can implement to maximize workplace morale, inlcuding:

• awareness training during on-boarding about generational differences, office and meeting etiquette;
• adopting age-neutral hiring and educational policies that look at the candidate pool irrespective of age;
• forming intergenerational work teams to ensure cross-pollination across age cohorts; and
• extending continuing and professional educational opportunities to older workers.

Source: Age Lessons Press Release (August 21, 2008)

Survey: Older Workers Happier than Younger Workers

Vodafone UK has released survey results that older people are the happiest and most motivated workers in Great Britain, with satisfaction levels soaring above those in their twenties, thirties and early forties. According to "Working Nation 2008: The Nature of Work", 97% of those working beyond 65 feel "enabled" in their work (compared to just 61% of 31-35 year olds), seven out of ten workers of 50 and over say they are fulfilled, with just half of 25-31 year olds saying the same, and satisfaction levels peak at over 90% among the oldest age group (65 and over).

As was noted in the introduction to this report, there is a widespread assumption prevalent today, as illustrated by the CMI Management Futures report, that technology will fundamentally change the world of work over the next ten years. Attendant to this assumption is the feeling that the consequence of this change will be that young people will be handed an unprecedented advantage, allowing them to leapfrog older generations into positions of power and create hitherto undreamed of new business opportunities.

This report serves to temper that view with the perspective of older generations, bringing to the fore the human factors that in many ways cannot be substituted or replaced, regardless of technological innovations.

In addition to issuing the report, Vodafone has created a Working Nation blog for additional follow-up.

Source: Vodafone UK Press Release (July 17, 2008)

Study: Boomers Can Boost Savings and Economy by Postponing Retirement

A study by McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) finds that while a vast majority of U.S. Baby Boomers are unprepared for retirement, "enabling them to work longer would significantly benefit both individuals and the broader economy." However, for this to happen both policy makers and business leaders will need to take action. Specifically, by increasing the median retirement age by about two years--from the current 62.6 to 64.1 by 2015—-the share of unprepared boomer households could be halved from 62% to 31%, and the additional workers would boost real GDP growth.

Working longer will generate $12.9 trillion more gross domestic product (GDP) between now and 2025 than would occur under the baseline forecast.

MGI's survey of Boomers' attitudes on retirement shows that 85 percent expect to work later in life. However, there are significant legal and institutional barriers that need to be overcome. They include a variety of disincentives for both employers and older workers, including the costs of America's health care system, the unintended consequences of labor laws and pension regulations, and corporate attitudes toward older workers. The research highlights several areas for action for policy makers and businesses to prevent the Boomers' retirement from becoming a multidecade-long drag on U.S. growth.

Source: McKinsey & Company "Talkin' 'bout my generation: The economic impact of aging U.S. Baby Boomers" (June 2008)

Ageist Language Can Hurt the Workplace

According to research conducted by Bob McCann, an associate professor of management communication at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business, even though demographic trends point to a more age-diverse workforce, ageist language is still to be found in many workplaces, and can have severe repercussions for both older workers and their employers.

"Our research has clearly shown links between ageist language and reported health outcomes as broad as reduced life satisfaction, lowered self-esteem, and even depression," said McCann. The workplace is a particularly fertile and problematic area for ageist communication, given that people derive so much of their identity from work.

McCann worked with Howard Giles of the University of California, Santa Barbara on studies showing ageist language playing a major role in age-discrimination lawsuits. Examples of just some of the hundreds of age-based comments that McCann and Giles report include: "the old woman," "that old goat," "too long on the job," "old and tired," "a sleepy kind of guy with no pizzazz," "he had bags under his eyes," and he is "an old fart."

Source: University of Southern California Marshall School of Business News Release (April 14, 2008)

Survey: Older Workers Score Highest on Employee Engagement

A study conducted by Sirota Survey Intelligence of cross-generational attitudes of more than 300,000 workers in over 50 organizations shows relatively small differences among the generations regarding their attitudes toward work and their engagement in their jobs, with those 63 and older showing the highest levels of engagement. Specifically, employees of the "Traditionalist" generation reported an 84% employee engagement level, while the engagement levels of the other groups were within a relatively narrow range of 77-80%: Baby Boomers (aged 43 to 62) 77%, Generation X (aged 28 to 42) 78%, and Generation Y (aged 27 and younger) 80%.

According to Douglas Klein, President of Sirota Survey Intelligence, the Traditionalists may be an overlooked resource for employers:

“They consistently have higher employee engagement levels than other employees with comparable tenure.” For example, Traditionalists with between 2-5 years tenure have an engagement level of 85% – 10 percentage points higher than that for Generation Y and Baby Boomers (75%), and 9 percentage points higher than that for Generation X (76%).

“With more people living healthy, active lifestyles, and so many Traditionalists uncertain whether they will have the financial resources to enable them to retire, they may want to stay in the workforce longer. Employers may want to consider part-time and/or flexible work arrangements to keep more of these loyal, enthusiastic workers onboard,” Klein added.

Source: Sirota Survey Intelligence Press Release (March 31, 2008)

Survey: Older Workers Growing More Comfortable with Change

Most working Americans aged 50 and older (65%) are becoming more comfortable with change and uncertainty as they grow older according to a survey released by SecurePath by Transamerica. Furthermore, the survey reports that 50% of these workers say they are at their best during times of change and 50% say that change is exciting. Based on employee attitudes, the survey differentiating pre-retirees and identifies four key segments based on their “change profiles”:

• Venturers: employees exhilarated by change--they have a high level of confidence about investing and retirement.
• Adapters: employees who tend to shy away from change finding it stressful but also exciting--many feel they will be in control of their retirement, are confident they will handle the transition well, and believe everything will work out.
• Anchoreds: employees who look for consistency in their lives rather than seek change--their apprehension towards change negatively affects their confidence in their retirement savings and their investing and may lead them to be less prepared for retirement.
• Pursuers: employees who prefer change and find it exciting, but don’t always feel they handle it well--as a group, they are the most likely to say they will continue working instead of retiring. Their desire for change coupled with their lack of confidence leaves them open to retirement planning ideas but also with a need for reassurance in order to execute.

Among other fndings, the study suggests they are not only comfortable with the uncertainty; they also may be more realistic than commonly thought about their next life stage. In this regard, it finds that 68% plan to be working in some capacity as they age.

Source: SecurePath by Transamerica Press Release (March 12, 2008)

United Kingdom: Study Shows Older Workers Demanding More Work

In the United Kingdom, the demand for working beyond 65 looks set to increase significantly over the next 15 years, according to survey results from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). Specifically, 38% of workers aged between 50 and 64 years plan to carry on working beyond 65, compared with only 11% of the workforce currently working beyond that State Pension age. Furthermore, "among those who said they did not plan to work past 65, 31% would change their mind if their employer allowed them to work flexibly."

According to Charles Cotton, CIPD reward adviser:

On one level the survey findings look very positive, in that they show a strong demand for working beyond retirement age that is as much down to financial as other reasons such as individuals wanting to use their skills and experience. However, it is clear that Government policy could do more to encourage more older workers to stay on by extending the right to request flexible working beyond parents and carers and making pension arrangements more flexible. If the Government fails to do this, its target of having a million older workers in work will become a mere aspiration.

Source: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development Press Release (January 25, 2008)

Australia: Survey Finds Older Workers Becoming Less Loyal

According to a survey of Australian workers, 82% of workers in the 41- 55 year age range and 80% of those in the $80,000 to $99,000 salary range are seeking new employment for personal reasons. Campbell Sallabank, CEO of Linkme.com.au, which conducted the survey, says that "Job loyalty is out the window for Aussies of all ages as the Generation Y ethos of quick money, quick success and fast promotion spreads across the Aussie workplace."

Gen Y has long been recognised for their job hopping ways and little concern for employer’s interests as they ruthlessly climb to the top of the corporate ladder. Now more mature workers appear to be adopting the "me too" attitude as they join the bandwagon of career success instead of job loyalty.

Source: LinkMe.com Press Release (January 14, 2008)

Research: Generational Differences in Perceptions of Older Workers

According to a new paper published by the Center on Aging and Work/Workplace Flexibility at Boston College, older workers are very positive about themselves and the company they work for, but are more likely to perceive that younger workers are given preference in training and development opportunities.

Authored by Jacquelyn B. James, Ph.D., Jennifer E. Swanberg, Ph.D., and Sharon P. McKechnie, Ph.D., the research underlying the paper--"Generational Differences in Perceptions of Older Workers’ Capabilities"--focused on two questions: (1) How do Traditionalist Generation workers rate themselves in comparison to how Baby Boom workers, and Generation X and Y workers rate them on 11 characteristics deemed to be important qualifications for continued work in later life? (2) If employees perceive their workplace environment to be less likely to offer opportunities for training and promotion for older workers, what effect does this have on their own well-being, and on their commitment to the organization?

With respect to the first question, responses for six of the characteristics varied with age. Specifically, responses were significantly more negative with each successive generation, from Traditionalists to Generation Y for the ability of older workers to serve as mentors, seeing older workers as reliable, deeming them to be more productive than younger workers, seeing them as adaptable to new technology, eager for training, and flexible. With respect to the second question, employees from the three older generations who perceived equal promotion opportunities for older workers were all significantly higher in employee engagement than those who did not, but for generation Y, workers reported significantly lower levels of employee engagement when they perceived workers over 55 had the same opportunities for promotion as younger workers.

Managers have a complex balancing act to meet the expectations and needs of a multi-generational ρρworkforce. Many employees in the older generations still want and need training, development, and recognition for their work in terms of promotion. However, employees from the youngest generation can become discouraged if they see all the opportunities and promotions going to workers from the older generations. Determining which staff will be developed and promoted will have to be based on some transparent standard not related to age or generation. This issue is one that managers will need to handle carefully to ensure retention and engagement from employees of all generations.

Source: Center on Aging and Work/Workplace Flexibility Issue Brief No. 12 (November 2007)

Survey: Younger and Older Workers Appreciate Diversity of Age in the Workplace

A survey of older and younger employees in the United Kingdom shows that working in a mixed aged workforce is important for both older (66%) and younger (65%) workers with all recognizing the benefits of working with people of mixed ages. In the study commissioned by Jobcentre Plus, part of the Department for Work and Pensions, 40% of older workers believe their younger colleagues teach them skills they previously did not have, while one third of younger workers believe older workers are more likely to work anti-social hours than colleagues their own age.

Lesley Strathie, Chief Executive, Jobcentre Plus commented: "The research shows that having the right balance of age and skills can bring numerous benefits to establishing a complete workforce for both employers and employees. Both older and younger workers appreciate and learn from the qualities each brings to the workplace."

Among other findings in the study:

• Younger workers think their older colleagues bring experience (94%), reliability (66%), and understanding (63%);
• two thirds of older workers are impressed by their younger co-workers ability to learn quickly, be flexible (61%), and give them energy (51%); and
• Younger workers stated that their older colleagues were more likely to be left in charge (60%), while over half of older workers believe their younger colleagues to be more likely to take risks, with 16% commenting that they are also more likely to be given manual tasks.

Source: JobCentre Plus News Release (Sepbember 26, 2007

Related Stories: Globe and Mail "Young, old and in-between: an we all get along?" by Jim Grey September 28, 2007

AJCJobs.com "Younger boss, older worker: Cooperation, communication can overcome age differences" by Karl W. Ritzler September 28, 2007

Survey Shows Flexibility of Older Workers, Openness to New Tasks

Research conducted in the United Kingdom by Talent Q, shows that older workers can often be the most flexible--that as people get older they become increasingly willing to take on new tasks and more varied roles. The research, based on in-depth analysis of over 5,700 workers, challenges the common preconception that older workers are unwilling to accommodate change and that they may be unresponsive to new challenges presented in the workplace.

In other findings, the study showed that older workers are happy to work on their own and take a leading role without the need for much guidance, and that they demonstrate a high level of ability in building successful working relationships with colleagues, clients and suppliers. "While it was shown that workers in their fifties and sixties are much less ambitious than their younger colleagues, this is probably just an indication that they have already achieved their goals or have decided that they are happy with their lot in life."

Steve O’Dell, chief executive of Talent Q, said: “Older people in the workplace might sometimes be viewed as being stuck in their ways and a little less sharp. Our research gives a very different perspective.

“Talent Q found that older workers are less preoccupied about climbing the career ladder and that they tend to be happy, fulfilled and confident. As a result, they are glad to take on new work or projects, and aren’t unduly phased by lots of changes. They tend to plough on regardless--a fact that employers are quickly discovering can be a real benefit to their business."

Source: Taent Q Age Research (September 5, 2007)

Australia: Older Workers Show Flexibility, Willingness to Learn

Research conducted by Diversity Council Australia (DCA) shows that, for those mature age people not currently in the workforce, one third of all respondents--and 57% of those aged 60 years or under--would be prepared to return to work if they were offered the right job. In addition, one-third of currently employed mature age workers would relocate and more than half would consider doing further study for the right job.

DCA believes its research results are great news for employers and for Australia: “At a time of strong economic growth and labour shortages, there is an exciting pool of talent, ready, willing and able to work,” said [DCA Managing Director, Ms Rohan] Squirchuk. “This research combined with DCA’s expertise in workplace diversity gives employers valuable information about how to better attract and retain talent in a tight labour market.”

Key results of the project--"Grey Matters: Engaging Mature Age Workers"--include:

• Prior to retiring, the average hours mature-age people worked was 40 hours, while they would have preferred to work 35.
• Employed mature-age workers indicated their top two ideal employment practices approaching retirement would involve: flexibility in start and finish times, and phased retirement
• Around 80% of mature-age people not currently employed said working for an organisation that was supportive of their learning and development needs and careers was important or very important in influencing their decision to remain in the workplace.
• Some 97% of mature-age people indicated working for an organisation that was supportive of older workers was important or very important in influencing their decision to remain in the workplace.

Source: Diversity Council Australia Media Release (May 25, 2007)

Survey: Tenure Rather than Age Major Factor in Workplace Enthusiasm

According to a survey conducted by Sirota Survey Intelligence, the differences one finds at work between older and younger people are largely a result of tenure--not age, thus, debunking, according to Sirota, the myth that there are major differences between generations in what people want from their jobs.

Sirota examined the overall satisfaction expressed by 64,304 workers in employee attitude surveys the firm conducted for their employers. Both younger (aged 25-34) and older (55 and older) employees showed a sharp decline in their satisfaction from their first year of employment--from 69% in both cases to 54% and 53%, respectively, among those with 2 to 5 years’ experience.

Source: Sirota Survey Intelligence News Release (January 22, 2007)

Survey: Older Workers Rank Flexibility First Factor for Retirement Jobs

RetirementJobs.com has released the results of a survey of 50+ job seekers showing that entrepreneurship ranked at the bottom of a list of key job factors baby boomers and active retirees consider for an ideal retirement job, while flexibility ranked at the top. Seveny percent ranked flexibility or lifestyle integration, as compared to only 30% rating entrepreneurship as being important.

Defining a retirement job as any kind of work one does after retiring from a long term career or returning to work after age 50, analysts from RetirementJobs.com identified a qualitative set of likes and dislikes among people in their careers after age 50: “What’s In, What’s Out.”

Source: RetirementJobs.com Press Release (June 21, 2006)