Graying Workplace

Many companies are looking for ways to keep their older employees healthy — and happy

from: Inside E Street, April 9, 2012

It’s being called a “silver tsunami,” a seismic change in age demographics under way in workplaces across America.

In the last few decades, the proportion of employees age 65 and older has increased by more than 100 percent. Add to this mix an ailing economy and the fact that most workers are now staying at their jobs longer, choosing work over retirement.

More older citizens are in the workplace and working longer past retirement age. — Courtesy: AARP Broadcast

Currently, one-third of the American workforce is made up of boomers, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that number will climb in the next few years. Companies are adjusting by redesigning their work environments and changing their office cultures.

Joining us on Inside E Street is Josh Kerst, vice president of Humantech and a certified professional ergonomist. He will be speaking with Lark McCarthy about the many physical changes that companies can make to their environment to keep employees not only healthy but also more productive. We’ll also be speaking with Samantha Greenfield, a member of Boston College’s Sloan Center on Aging & Work, who’ll discuss the cultural transformation that many workplaces must go through.

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