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There's
Gold in that Silver.
By Lynn Vazqueztell
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Statistics
show that senior citizens (65+) represent 12.7% of the
U.S. Population, which is about one out of every eight
Americans. Mature adults are the fastest growing demographic
segment of the population and at the age of sixty-five,
23% are still working for a variety of reasons - to not
have to be dependent upon relatives; to supplement their
income or their health insurance benefits or just to be
able to make use of their talents and abilities by continuing
to work. (taken from www.seniorjobbank.org) The prevailing
thought in America is that most seniors want to quit working
when they are done with their careers, however, most seniors
when asked, say that they still want to contribute and
feel useful in their lives. Now, many large Corporate
companies are also taking notice of this "silver
work force" as a valuable resource and are enlisting
senior citizens for help - but not just in volunteer activities,
but in creating new careers that will allow them to exercise
their hard-won experience and expertise and likewise this
"help" is giving these older veterans their
2nd and 3rd careers.
Seniors offer valuable maturity, skills and experience.
They have strong work ethics, many useful job skills,
as well as, job knowledge that they can share with our
younger generation. The Corporate philosophy is such that
now they encourage an environment where senior citizens
will want to apply. Even Wal-Mart is one of the leading
employers of senior citizens in the United States, employing
nearly a quarter million associates - as much as 20% of
Wal-Mart's workforce is at least 55 years old. Senior
citizens are becoming an integral part of the American
work force and shows just one of the ways in which large
corporations can take responsibility for the social and
economic welfare of our country.
Older workers tend to be an honest and dedicated group
with good communication skills and have had more experience
working with co-workers and/or the public and are more
comfortable communicating from the very beginning than
the younger work force. Small business owners also know
the benefits in hiring senior citizens. They understand
how difficult it is to hire and retain dependable, honest
employees. Some 'new hires' usually leave just after a
few months of employment to pursue a better career opportunity
with more money. For the small business owner, having
to continually hire and train employees costs them time
and money and can drain their small budgets. Older workers
are non-demanding and usually only want to work part-time
since they can only earn up to a certain amount because
of tax restrictions. Therefore, they won't be demanding
more hours in order to keep their jobs and will be happy
with the hours they are given.
Hiring senior citizens for a small business may actually
save the small business owner money in the long run. Having
an employee who really wants to come to work, who is content
with the hours and pay and truly enjoys being there, is
a huge asset to the small business owner.
Employer Myths vs. Facts
about Older Workers
Myth: Older workers cost a company more
because of higher absenteeism and accidents.
Fact: Accident and attendance records
are better for older workers than younger workers. Older
workers tend to be more careful on the job. They have
strong work ethics, and are dependable and responsible,
and move from job to job far less frequently than younger
employees.
Myth: Older workers cannot work as effectively
as younger workers and cannot meet the physical demands
of the workplace.
Fact: Less than 12% of today's jobs require
significant physical strength or exertion. For most occupations,
productivity levels remain stable or even increase with
age because of improved work habits, motivation and job
connection.
Myth: Older workers have more health
problems than younger workers.
Fact: Workers age 65 and older take fewer
days off for illness than any other workers. It is well
known that the more active the person, the better his
or her health.
Source: US Department of Labor, AARP,
Senior Employment Program of The Senior Source. Lynn Vazqueztell
is the former editor and publisher of 'Senior Advocate'
a senior citizens' publication based in Virginia Beach,
VA from 1989 to 1991 and covered S.E. Virginia with a
distribution of 50,000 copies bi-monthly. |
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