OLD AGED WORKERS

Older Workers in the Workplace

Older Workers in the Workplace

Introduction

Employers have a stereotyped view about the abilities and attributes of older workers in the workplace. They think that their abilities and attributes can have a negative or a positive impact on other workers' retirement and retention (Ilmarinen, 2001; McNair et al, 2007). Employers hesitate in hiring old employees because they think that their productivity is low and they are a cost for the organization instead of an asset. This is the reason why people are forced to retire much earlier than their retiring age (Yeatts, Et. al, 2000). In this review we will take a look at the relationship between old age and other important determinants of the workplace. Employers consider hiring young generation as compared to the older workers for various reasons which are discussed below.

Attributes of Older Workers

In the early 1990s, a survey was carried out by the Personnel Management regarding the negative and positive attributes of an old aged worker. This survey was reported by Lyon and Pollard (1997), and according to it the older workers have the following negative attributes:

Do not accept changes easily

Slow learners

Slow grasper of ideas

Not interested in being trained

The following positive attributes of old aged workers were found in the survey:

Vast work experience

Loyal to their employers

Are reliable, confident and conscious

Are hard workers

Good team players/leaders

These attributes have given the older employees an edge over the younger employees in the organization and the management has a soft attitude towards the older employees (Lyon and Pollard, 1997).

Age and productivity

No study has established a negative relationship between age and productivity. Productivity does not decrease with increase in age thus it is concluded that performance is consistent regardless of age (Benjamin & Wilson, 2005). This is because not every job requires employees to work at full capacity. Experience, skills and strategies make up for the functional differences between employees. Old workers have a lot of experience thus they use it in their job and utilize the functional differences.

Age and ill health, sensory abilities

People who do not work have poor health because only working people exhibit health and fitness and are physically fit (Waddell & Burton, 2006). It is not necessary that employees who fall ill leave their job or their performance declines. There is significant evidence that working people enjoy good health. Though ill health is a major factor in older employees, but this does not mean that it will affect their work performance (Tomporowsk, 2003). Decline in general health is not a big issue, but the deterioration in the sensory abilities of a person is a concern for the organization. The organization should look after the health of its old employees if it wants to retain them and should provide them healthcare.

Age and physical strength and endurance

Decline in physical health with the increase in age is a fact therefore it should be dealt with. Poor physical strength does not lead to poor performance because there are very few jobs that require physical strength (Robertson & Tracy, ...