employers’ guide to 55+ workers & volunteers building partnerships achieving results age is an...

Employers’ Guide to 55+

Workers &

Volunteers

Building Partnerships

Achieving Results

Age is an Asset. Experience a Benefit.

A program of the

Wyoming Department of Workforce Services.

Table of Contents

55 Plus Employment Network

http://wyomingworkforce.org/scsep/

877-WorkWyo (877-967-5996)

Department of Workforce Services

General Information: www.wyomingworkforce.org

Job Postings: www.wyomingatwork.com

877-WorkWyo (877-967-5996)

ServeWyoming

www.servewyoming.org

www.volunteerwyoming.org

866-737-8304

Importance of 55+ Workers and Volunteers…………….3

Attracting & Retaining 55+ Workers & Volunteers……4

Connecting Workforce & Volunteerism……..…………….5

Facts about 55+ Workers…………………………..……………6

Generations in the Workplace………………………………...7

Guide to Age Discrimination.........................................8

Mentoring in the Workplace.........................................9

Understanding Disabilities..........................................10

Alternative Work Arrangements..................................11

Checklist for Employers...............................................12

Resources................................................................13-14

Contact Information & Table of Contents

Employers’ Guide to 55+ Workers & Volunteers

Contact Information

This guide is available for reproduction without permission at http://wyomingworkforce.org/scsep/

Why 55+ Workers and Volunteers

Recently published U.S. Census Bureau Projections indicate that by 2030 Wyoming will have more people 65 years and older than under 18 years, with more than one in every four residents over the age of 65.

Wenlin Liu, an economist for the Department of Administration and Information Economic Analysis Division cites three main reasons for Wyoming's rapidly aging population: A huge influx of baby boomers who moved to the state during rapid energy development in the late 1970s and early 1980s; migration of Wyoming’s young workforce in rural areas to larger metropolitan areas, part of a nationwide trend; and a smaller ratio of migrants, who are generally younger.

This booklet provides insight into how to more productively work with and attract not only older workers, but workers and volunteers of all ages.

3Employers’ Guide to 55+ Workers & Volunteers

"We might face a serious labor

supply stagnation or maybe a

decline in 5 years or 10 years.

We're trying to educate the

public and the employers that

the trend is coming, ... to change their

mentality to make it more

acceptable to hire older-age workers.“

- Wenlin Liu, Economist,

Department of Administration

and Information

Importance of 55+ Workers and Volunteers

It all Starts at the TopIn order for your business to attract and retain quality older workers, management must make clear the company’s commitment to valuing older workers through respect and praise.

Show the commitment through starting an age diversity training program for managers, supervisors and employees in every area of the company. As part of this training, promote health, wellness and prevention to maintain the health of all workers. Be sure that the cross-generational teams are formed as part of this training to allow workers from all ages to learn from and appreciate each other. Think “out-of-the-box”, and start offering flexible scheduling, such as telecommuting or job sharing. Or, bring back retirees as a consultant to your organization.

It all starts at the top. Analyze your business's needs and implement strategies to help correct deficiencies.

“Older workers are a valuable resource for Wyoming’s workforce and economic development. In anticipation of the retirement of the Baby Boomers, it’s essential for businesses to make their employment practices appealing to this population of workers. By doing so, businesses will have greater ease in recruiting and retaining experienced workers.”

- Joan K. Evans, Director, Department of Workforce Services

Attracting and Retaining Quality 55+ Workers & Volunteers


4

Connecting Workforce and Volunteerism

Offer Opportunities for Giving Back

Volunteers provide unique human capital resources that can address important societal, economic and workforce issues in our communities. Baby boomers, in particular, bring the advantages of experience, education and motivation to make a difference.

In addition to meeting community needs, volunteering offers important benefits for older adults. Older Americans who receive or deliver service are more connected with the community, remain more active, and have a more optimistic outlook. They also will generally respond more favorably to flexible opportunities, such as those that allow for full-time, part-time, or episodic work.

Older adults want choice. They are not looking for busy work, but rather meaning and purpose. They are looking for interesting and challenging opportunities to make an impact on their communities. As the population ages, the contributions of older adults deserves more recognition.

Older Americans want to stay busy and productive. It is important to expand flexible engagement opportunities for older adults so they have more choices for both paid and unpaid work, formal and informal volunteering, or family care giving.


“Research tells us that Baby Boomers, as a whole, will not

withdraw completely from

the work place in ‘traditional

retirement.’ Instead, they will seek a balance of

work, leisure, civic engagement and other interests.

As a state, we must explore innovative

ways to initiate policy changes

which will capture the talents and

experience of seniors and engage

them in employment and

meaningful volunteer

activities.”

- Rachel Chadderdon,

Executive Director, ServeWyoming

Benefits for EmployersOlder workers bring many benefits for employers, including:

Wyoming is one of the fastest aging states in the nation, and many of our youth leave the state for more urban areas. To ensure the workforce demand is met, barriers to the employment of older workers must be addressed. These include offering alternative work schedules, accommodations, flexible benefits packages, benefits to employees using alternative work schedules, and providing training to managers and supervisors on age stereotypes, to name a few. Modifying workplace policies will help employers recruit and retain older workers who are a significant portion of Wyoming’s population.”

- Dave Scriven, Chairman, Wyoming Workforce Development Council

• Reliable work habits• Loyalty to the job and the firm• Experience• Stability• Less turnover• Less concern about

advancement• Equal or better productivity

rates

• Willingness to work on a part-time, and/or, temporary, and/or seasonal basis

• Quality work• Being customer service

oriented• More reliable in crisis

management.

Facts about 55+ Workers

6 Employers’ Guide to 55+ Workers & Volunteers

Older workers also have accident and attendance records far better than their younger counterparts. Workers age 65 and older take fewer days off for illness than other workers.

Last, studies have shown that learning ability, intelligence, memory and motivation do not necessarily decline with age.

Generations in the Workplace

Four Generations in the WorkplaceThere are currently four generations in the workplace – The Silent, Baby Boom, Generation X, and Millennial Generations. The following are recommendations on how to work more productively with each generation.

For The Silent Generation• Acknowledge their experience publicly• Provide proactive technology support services

For The Baby Boom Generation• Redesign their jobs to provide flexibility• Spotlight personal fulfillment, meaningful work and intangibles

For the Generation X• Resist micromanaging them• Provide flexible work environments

For the Millennial Generation• Personalize their work• Make their work interactive


Guide to Age Discrimination

Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) protects individuals who are 40 years of age or older from employment discrimination based on age. The ADEA’s protections apply to both employees and job applicants. Under the ADEA, it is unlawful to discriminate against a person because of his/her age with respect to any term, condition or privilege of employment – including, but not limited to hiring, firing, promotion, layoff, compensation, benefits, job assignments and training.

It is also unlawful to retaliate against an individual for opposing employment practices that discriminate based on age or for filing an age discrimination charge, testifying, or participating in any way in an investigation, proceeding, or litigation under the ADEA.

The ADEA applies to employers with 20 or more employees, including federal, state, and local governments, employment agencies and labor organizations.


8

“Our state’s older workers are an essential element of our workforce. Their experience, dedication and motivation make them a valuable resource to employers.”

- Joan K. Evans, Director, Department of Workforce Services

Mentoring in the Workplace

What is a Mentor?A workplace mentor is a supervisor or adult co-worker who provides people with support, counsel, friendship, reinforcement and constructive examples in the business world. These mentors are good listeners who care and want to help others bring out their strengths.

Responsible workplace mentoring requires:• A planned and comprehensive new employee orientation within hours of a new employee’s first day at work.

• Written job descriptions. Using your job description is essential for evaluating performance and providing training, as well as counseling.

• Work evaluation and on going assessment.

• Regular consistent contact between the mentor and worker.

• Time for relevant discussion and information dissemination.


9

Understanding Disabilities

Workplace AccommodationsMany workers over the age of 50 have chronic conditions that can make work more difficult. However, continuing to work is important to many workers with health conditions or disabilities. They want their work to remain a big part of their lives. Job accommodations can help them stay on the job. Examples include:

•Providing a location with few distractions, such as an office or a staff break room to ensure the employee’s attention is not divided.

• Whenever possible, providing both oral and written instructions. For example, at the beginning of the shift, the employee could be given a written task list, then the supervisor could discuss the task list with the employee.

• If the employee is required to read and sign company documents such as an employee handbook, allowing the employee to take the material home.

• Checking for understanding by asking questions, such as, “If you finish the four things on your task list, which might you do next?” You can reinforce your expectations using this method. Encourage the employee to ask questions or get clarification if he or she is confused about any phase of the job.


10

Alternative Work Arrangements

Flexible SchedulingFlexible scheduling options are available to both full- and part-time employees, and it allows them to set some of their own hours based on the workers’ and businesses’ needs.

•Flextime: Workers, in conjunction with their supervisors, choose their work schedule start and end times. There is usually a requirement that employees be at work during a core period. The core period is usually between the hours of 10am and 2pm, or based on demands of the customers.

• Compressed work schedules: Workers work longer on some days in order to have more days off. For example, working four ten hour days allows the employee to have one extra day off.

• Compensation time: Workers get time off with pay after having worked extra hours.

• Part-time work: Workers work 20 hours per week or less.

• Job-sharing: Two part-time workers share job duties.


11

Checklist for Employers

In our job advertisements, we seek employees with: Good judgment Reliable work habits

We are familiar with organizations that: Help older workers find jobs Provide training for older workers

We conduct age audits concerning the following: Recruitment Hiring Training Evaluation Promotion

We educate our managers and supervisors on: Age discrimination laws Age neutral performance appraisal systems Age neutral accessibility to training Benefits of hiring older workers

We educate the following about age stereotypes: Managers Supervisors Lead staff Workers Volunteers

We educate the following about accommodations: Managers Supervisors Lead Staff


12

We provide the following flexible training: A mentoring program On-the-job coaching Peer training Individualized training

We provide the following training: Technical training Computer training

We provide the following equipment to assist employees: Amplified telephone equipment Computer screens for visual enhancement

Ergonomic keyboards Flexible workstations Other, as needed

We offer the following work schedule alternatives: Part-time work Temporary work Seasonal work Consulting Job Sharing Flex-time Compressed schedules Compensation time

We offer benefits to our part-time employees

We offer a flexible benefits package

Need Some AssistanceThere are programs available to help both older workers and businesses who employ older workers.

• The 55 Plus Employment Network is an employment training program for low-income unemployed workers aged 55 years or older. Non-profit organizations with 501(c)(3) status or city/county/state governments may serve as community service training sites for the participants. It is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor under Title V of the Older Americans Act.

• The Department of Workforce Services Employment and Business Services are funded by the U.S. Department of Labor under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998.

• ServeWyoming’s Volunteer Connection is a single resource and central clearinghouse designed to increase the number and effectiveness of volunteers in Wyoming. Our goal with Volunteer Wyoming is to enable communities to recruit skilled volunteers to areas that lack professional assistance, engage volunteers to assist with labor-intensive projects and connect people to both paid and unpaid work.

13


Resources

14 Employers’ Guide to 55+ Workers & Volunteers

Resources

www.senior.com – This site offers chat rooms, forums, newsletters and community postings on topics such as health, travel, learning, relationships, Medicare, finance and more. It is comprehensive on a lifestyle level, but it does not offer a lot of specific older worker employment information.

www.theseniorsource.org – A site for older workers in Dallas, TX that has plenty of information on nationwide senior issues.

www.vital-aging-network.org – The Vital Aging Network is sponsored by the University Of Minnesota College of Continuing Education. It provides resources for just about any issue "vital agers" may encounter.

http://wdh.state.wy.us - The Wyoming Department of Health promotes, protects, and enhances the health and safety of all Wyoming citizens through various programs.

http://wyomingworkforce.org/nextcycleworks - Next Cycle Works helps Wyoming businesses and workers over the age of 50 meet their job needs by offering best practices, success stories, research, resources, facts, figures and community efforts.

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