A Final Special Post For 2010
Addressing the needs of the older workers is becoming more of an issue for employers. In 2011, seventy-six million baby boomers will begin turning 65 years of age. That will mean more retirements that will have a huge impact on the work environment. Employers should embrace and utilize the skills of these workers and not just usher them out the door.
SHRM (Society for Human Resources Management) found through a survey that employers are bracing for the loss of mature workers and that one out of five respondents indicated that the potential loss of baby boomers would be a problem for their organizations. Some employers have even implemented or plan to implement programs in preparation for these retirements while others have initiated workplace flexibility programs that will enable older employees to work and balance their personal lives.
On the other hand some employers may embrace the exodus because of the conflicts caused by generational issues, stereotypes and discriminatory comments that land employers in the cesspool of litigation.
Employers need to keep in mind if they do experience a high volume of retirements, the replacement of these individuals should be based on their qualifications and not their youth. In addition, there are still older workers out there who want to continue to work (and considering the state of the social security benefit program-who knows?) and will be searching for opportunities.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for reading my Blog every week and hope that you have found it to be beneficial throughout the year. On behalf of Potts & associates and its entire staff we wish you all a prosperous 2011.
