Age can affect job performance and much more

I have really never taken the time to think about how my age might affect my job performance.
In fact, I really don’t like to think about my age at all. You are as old as you feel – at least, that is what I tell my clients.
Seriously, I am not writing this article to point out the negatives of the aging workforce – I am the aging workforce. So this article just brings awareness to something that will surely affect all of our lives.
We all know that as we get older, hopefully, we are getting wiser. We are great contributors to our employers because of our experience, maturity and work ethic (we are a great bunch!). However, from a physical standpoint, we have some issues that we need to address. Let’s look at how age might affect the future of the workplace.
There are currently four generations in the workforce. The Traditionalists, born 1922-1943; the Baby Boomers, born 1943-1960; Generation X, born 1960-1980; and Generation Nexters, (or Millennials) born 1980-2000. This makes for some very interesting dynamics in the workplace, which could be the subject of a whole other article. But one thing is for certain, the U.S. workforce is aging.
According to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), workers aged 55 and older will account for almost 50 percent of projected labor force growth between 2002-2012.
Now that’s a problem any way you look at it. With an aging workforce comes a host of potential health care problems, increased health care costs and the potential for decreased work productivity.
Just because of the sheer increase in numbers of older workers, work place injuries and health costs will increase. It is important that employers develop strategies to address this issue, both from a specific, on-the-job-activity perspective as well as an overall employee wellness perspective. Regardless of the way you look at the situation, it will be necessary in the future to look at ways to address the costs of an aging workforce. Let’s look at some of the common problems associated with the aging workforce:
Unhealthy lifestyles: This includes alcohol consumption, poor food choices, smoking, lack of exercise and resistance to preventive health screenings. This unhealthy lifestyle brings with it a host of lifestyle-related diseases. This can certainly affect productivity at work in the form of increased absenteeism, on the job injuries, etc.
Resistance to change: One of the biggest challenges in today’s workforce is that employees can be resistant to change. They may not see the need for wellness programs or preventive measures to make their workplace or work task safer. They are accustomed to performing a task a specific way. Changing the tasks to improve the employee’s safety can prove to be challenging. However, it is well worth the effort.
Physical demands: There are many jobs out there that are very physically demanding. Physically demanding jobs can certainly present the danger of serious injury. Of course, this can happen in any age group, but there are factors that increase the aging worker’s potential for injury. Unless we take adequate precautions and institute proper physical training programs, the age-driven impact of decreased flexibility, mobility, muscle weakness and imbalance, and balance issues can lead to many types of injuries.
Interestingly, the Centers for Disease Control reports that these factors contribute to falls. Once again, employers will need to step up to the challenge of addressing these issues.
Next week’s article will provide some strategies that employers can utilize.

LINDA STOLLINGS is a personal fitness trainer in Bristol, Tenn. E-mail her at info@fitprescriptions.com or visit www.fitprescriptions.com.