Workplace Strategies for an Aging Workforce

1. Workplace Strategies for an Aging Workforce Britani P. Laughery, CIC, CWCP, AU

2. Overview • Workforce statistics • Pros and cons of aging workforce • Workplace improvements • HR • Safety

3. Aging Workforce Statistics • 39.6 million persons are 65+ in the U.S. • 12.9% of U.S. Population (U.S. Administration on Aging, 2009) • Estimated that 72.1 million persons or 19% of U.S. population will be 65+ by 2030 • Many individuals continue working after age 65 for various reasons • Monetary • Social

4. Effects of Aging • Decreased range of motion, flexibility, balance • Decreased endurance, longer recovery time • Decreased cognitive capacity • Decreased ability to heal • Decreased ability to regulate sleep • Impaired auditory & visual acuity • Increased blood pressure • Increased weight • Presence of chronic illness • Muscle weakness due to replacement w/adipose tissue and decreased strength • Decreased respiratory, CV, GI, immune system efficiency • Potential decreased self-esteem

5. Older but Wiser • Experienced • Vast knowledge and skills • Increased job satisfaction/value jobs • Strong work ethic • Positive influence on coworkers/company • Serve as mentors for workers with less experience • Increased productivity • Increased loyalty • Decreased absenteeism • Decreased accident frequency

6. Injury Statistics

7. Investment Options • Legal fees & workers compensation costs or • Workplace improvements • Benefits all employees, not just employees 65+

8. Workplace Improvements Administrative Controls • Pre-placement physicals • Flexible schedules • Orientation & Education • Warm up/stretching programs • Microbreaks • Wellness programs Engineering Controls • Task design • Workstation design • Tool design • Equipment design • Environmental design • Manual material handling design

9. Pre-Placement Physical Exams • An employee’s inability to properly perform their job functions increases the risk of injury not only to themselves, but poses a risk to fellow employees and the general public. Pre-placement physicals promote workplace safety benefiting the company, the employees tested, co-workers, and the public.

10. Pre-Placement Physicals Exams • Determines proper placement of employees and reasonable accommodation of qualified applicants • Assesses medical conditions that may affect an employee’s ability to safely perform their job requirements • Ability of person to perform job with or without reasonable accommodation • Limits future liability for work-related injuries and illness • Enable employers to make reasonable accommodation, relocate the employee to a more suitable position (if available) or reconsider their offer of employment

11. Pre-Placement Physical Exams • Establishes employee’s baseline health status and promotes workplace safety • Establishes an employee’s medical condition at their date of hire • Creates a medical and legal information base

12. Pre-Placement Physical Exams • Must be separate, second step of selection process • Contingent offer of employment • May be required for all entering employees or all entering employees of specified jobs • Functional Capacity Test • Measures basic visual, physical and cognitive abilities to safely perform job • Specific to job duties • Job description/analysis on file with medical provider

13. Flexible Work Schedules • Win-win for employers and employees • Attracts and retains talented employees • Paying for the actual work and not an arbitrary 9-to-5 block of time • Enables people to function most effectively at both home and work

14. Flexible Work Schedule • Flexibility has various forms • Flexible hours (full time) • Part time • Phased retirement • Telecommuting • Seasonal contracts • Job sharing/job rotation • Compressed work week • Increased number or duration of breaks

15. Flexible Work Schedule • Think about what this person or position needs to accomplish, and then think creatively about the schedule or structure that facilitates the goals.

16. Orientation & Education • Process of introducing employees to their new jobs and work environments • Provides an opportunity for new employees to become acclimated to their new company, department, colleagues and work expectations • Learn the job properly • Have the opportunity to bring new ideas to workplace • Feel valued and “fit-in” to the new job more easily • Employer benefits by • Reduced injuries • Reduced turnover • Increased productivity

17. Orientation & Education • Experienced workers are not exempt • Set realistic expectations, positive attitudes and job satisfaction • Handbooks and paperwork are not sufficient • Frequent complaints • Overwhelming • Boring • Sink or Swim • Formal Mentoring Program • Enables employees to reach full potential • Enhanced ROI per individual

18. Warm Up/Stretching Programs • A warm-up helps the body prepare itself for exercise both mentally and physically, and reduces the chance of injury. • Increased movement of blood through your tissues, making the muscles more pliable; • Increased delivery of oxygen and nutrients to your muscles by increasing the blood flow (which prevents you from getting out of breath early or too easily); • Prepares your muscles for stretching (which should follow a good warm up); • Prepares your heart for an increase in activity, preventing a rapid increase in blood pressure; • Prepares you mentally for the upcoming exercise; • Primes your nerve-to-muscle pathways to be ready for exercise; and, • Improves coordination and reaction times.

19. Warm Up/Stretching Programs • Stretches are included after warming up to: • Increase flexibility • Reduce muscle tension • Reduce the risk of muscle or tendon injuries • Warming up and stretching should be done at the beginning of the shift and/or prior to physical activity

20. Microbreaks • Periodic break that focuses on reducing tension and fatigue through exercise/stretching or relaxing muscle groups • Isn't necessarily a break from work, but it's a break from the use of a particular set of muscles that's doing most of the work • Critical for tasks that have repetitive motion, awkward postures and/or use of excessive force • Rule of thumb: 30-90 second break per hour

21. Microbreaks • Educate & encourage employees to take microbreaks • Reminders • Technological • Calendar appointments • Pop ups • Physical • Buddy system • Pom-poms • Playing cards • Competition

22. Wellness Programs • Decreased rates of injuries and illness • Reduced employee absenteeism • Improved employee relations and morale • Increased productivity • Reduced healthcare costs • Enhanced recruitment and retention

23. Wellness Programs • Capture senior management support for the wellness program • Build a wellness committee • Assess the needs of your company and employees • Create a wellness program vision, mission and outcomes • Develop a comprehensive and strategic wellness program plan • Choose wellness program actions • Identify an incentive and reward strategy for the wellness program • Communicate to employees about the wellness program • Evaluate wellness program efforts and modify strategies

24. Wellness Programs • Education & Awareness • Bulletin boards • Newsletters • Lunch-N-Learn sessions • Health Screenings • EAP • Fitness/weight loss programs • Tobacco cessation • Stress management

25. Workplace Improvements Administrative Controls • Pre-placement physicals • Flexible schedules • Orientation & Education • Warm up/stretching programs • Microbreaks • Wellness programs Engineering Controls • Task design • Workstation design • Tool design • Equipment design • Environmental design • Manual material handling design

26. Task Design • Postures • Forces • Repetition • Boredom vs. complex jobs • Rate, duration and recovery • Static vs. dynamic muscle activity

27. Workstation Design • Sit vs. stand • Work surface height • Reach zones • Visual zones • Chairs • Sharp edges • Footrests • Floor surfaces/mats

28. Tool Design/Selection • Grips • Leverage • Weight • Balance • Triggers • Torque • Vibration • Handle design

29. Equipment Design • Knobs and switches • Control locations • Lighting • Lettering and character size • Analog vs. digital • Color selection (contrast)

30. Environmental Design • Lighting • Temperature • Noise • Vibration • Travel distance • Clothing • Footwear

31. Manual Material Handling Design • Push vs. pull • Mechanical aids

32. Conclusion • U.S. workforce is aging • Older workers’ assets outweigh liabilities • Redesign of work and workplace is crucial for success • Redesign benefits all