Workforce Planning: Aging and Employment
Module 8: Managing Productivity: Health, Ability and
Employee Relations
Barbara McIntosh, Ph.D., SPHR • 2014
The development of this content was
made
possible through the support from a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
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2014
Module 8: Overview
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Productivity: Health and ability.
Disabilities and accommodations.
Health and safety.
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Health and Longevity Are Improving
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Employees with Higher Education Experience
Health Declines Later
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Health Statistics
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Most older persons have at least one chronic condition, and many
have multiple conditions.
In 2009-2011, the most frequently occurring conditions included:
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Arthritis (51%).
All types of heart disease (31%) .
Any cancer (24%).
Diagnosed diabetes (20% in 2007-2010).
Hypertension (high blood pressure or taking antihypertensive
medication) (72% in 2007-2010).
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living, Administration on
Aging. (2012). A profile of older Americans: 2012. Retrieved from
http://nasuad.org/sites/nasuad/files/hcbs/files/221/11038/OAA2012Profile.pdf
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Health and Work
More than 75% of workers are estimated to have at least one chronic
health condition that requires management.
Higher morbidity means:
> More absenteeism.
> More presenteeism (an employee is ill but shows up to work regardless).
Individual health-risk factors are a stronger influence on future health
care costs than is advancing age alone.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2013). Healthy aging at work. Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/healthyagingatwork/
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Self-Reported Health Status
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More than 75% of respondents reported their health is good to
excellent.
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Attitudes about health status more readily correlate with workforce
participation.
Workforce participation positively affects attitude and cognitive
status.
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Source: Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics. (2012). Older Americans 2012: Key indicators of wellbeing, 29. Retrieved from
http://www.agingstats.gov/agingstatsdotnet/Main_Site/Data/2012_Documents/docs/EntireChartbook.pdf
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Health and Occupations
Employees ages 65 and older reporting arthritis:
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47% blue-collar workers.
58% service workers.
67% farm workers.
51% white-collar workers.
Blue-collar workers are more likely to retire if they develop arthritis.
Source: Sloan Center on Aging and Work at Boston College. (2014). Health and older worker (Fact Sheet 37). Retrieved
from
http://www.bc.edu/content/dam/files/research_sites/agingandwork/pdf/publications/FS37_HealthandOlderWorker.p
df
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Self-Reported Health by Age and Race
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Depression
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Mental Health at Work
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Researchers analyzing results from the U.S. National Comorbidity Survey, a nationally
representative study of Americans ages 15 to 54, reported that 18% of those who were
employed said they experienced symptoms of a mental health disorder in the previous
month.
Symptoms of mental health disorders may be different at work than in other situations.
Although these disorders may cause absenteeism, the biggest impact is in lost
productivity.
Studies suggest that treatment improves work performance, but it is not a quick fix.
Most of the research on the costs and benefits of treatment has been done on
employees with depression. The studies have found that when depression is adequately
treated, employers reduce job-related accidents, sick days and employee turnover, as
well as improve the number of hours worked and employee productivity.
Source: Harvard Health Publications. (2010, February). Mental health problems in the workplace. Harvard Mental
Health Newsletter. Retrieved from
http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Mental_Health_Letter/2010/February/mental-health-problemsin-the-workplace
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Mental Health Status and Work
The National Study of the Changing Workforce found that among
people working, mental health improves with age.
> Only 16.6% of employees ages 50 and older reported poor mental
health, compared to 31.2% of employees 18-30 years of age.
> 32.4% of employees ages 50 and older reported good mental health,
compared to 19.4% of employees 18-30 years of age.
Source: Shen, C., Pitt-Catsouphes, M., & Smyer, M. (2007, August). Today’s multi-generational workforce: A
proposition of value (Issue Brief 10). Sloan Center on Aging and Work at Boston College. Retrieved from
https://www.bc.edu/content/dam/files/research_sites/agingandwork/pdf/publications/IB10_MultiGenValue.pdf
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Mental Health Care Costs
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In 2008, people with serious mental illness earned, on average, $16,000 less
than their mentally well counterparts, totaling about $193 billion annually in
lost earnings.
Many workers with mental illness, who are more likely to miss work, also
suffer from presenteeism in which they are likely to be less productive on
the job when they do show up.
“All together, our cumulative mental-health issues—depression,
schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder, among others—are costing the U.S.
economy about a half-trillion dollars. That’s more than the government
spent on all of Medicare during the last fiscal year” (Rampell, 2013).
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Keep Employees Healthy: Policies and Practices
CPH-NEW Healthy Workplace Participatory Program
Center for Promotion and Health in the New England Workplace (CPH-NEW)
Online tool to help organizations implement a participatory and integrated approach to
health, safety and wellness programs.
SafeWell Practice Guidelines: An Integrated Approach to Worker Health
Harvard School of Public Health, Center for Work, Health, and Well-Being
The purpose of the SafeWell Practice Guidelines is to provide a model, strategies and
resources for integrated approaches to worker health that foster strategic coordination of
policies, programs and practices designed to simultaneously prevent work-related injuries
and illnesses and enhance overall health and well-being at work and home.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2013). Guidelines for implementing total worker health
programs. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/TWH/reports.html
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The Flip Side: Health Benefits of Work
A cross-sectional study completed by Susann Rohwedder and Robert
J. Willis in 2010 showed that employees who retire in their early 60s
have diminished cognitive ability compared with those who retire at
or after retirement age. This diminished cognitive ability may be due
to decreased engagement in mental exercises in the work
environment before retirement and in the home environment after
retirement.
Source: Rohwedder, S., & Willis, R. (2010). Mental retirement. Journal of Economic
Perspectives. 24(1), 119-138.
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Disability
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In 2011, for people ages 65 and older, some type of disability (i.e., difficulty in
hearing, vision, cognition, ambulation, self-care or independent living) was
reported by 35% of men and 38% of women.
Some of these disabilities may be relatively minor, but others cause people
to require assistance to meet important personal needs.
There is a strong relationship between disability status and reported health
status.
Presence of a severe disability is also associated with lower income levels and
lower educational attainment.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living,
Administration on Aging. (2012). A profile of older Americans: 2012. Retrieved from
http://nasuad.org/sites/nasuad/files/hcbs/files/221/11038/OAA2012Profile.pdf
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Percent with ADL Limitations in 2010
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Ability and Physical Health
Some older workers may have health problems, disabilities or
physical limitations.
• The likelihood of having a disability increases with age; reported
rates double from 19.4% for ages 45-54 to 38.4% for ages 65-69.
• Ergonomic changes in the workplace can address some of these
issues.
Source: Steinmetz, E. (2006). Americans with disabilities: 2002. Washington, DC: U.S. Census
Bureau.
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Reasonable Accommodation
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits employment
discrimination on the basis of workers’ disabilities. The ADA also
requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations.
Accommodation is any change to a job, the work environment or the
way things are usually done that allows an individual with a disability to
apply for a job, perform job functions or enjoy equal access to benefits
available to other individuals in the workplace.
Employers need to qualified employees with disabilities unless doing so
would pose an undue hardship.
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Accommodations Are Not Expensive
According to ergonomic and job accommodation experts, the amount
of money employers often need to pay to accommodate a particular
worker’s disability is surprisingly low:
• 31% of accommodations cost nothing.
• 50% cost less than $50.
• 69% cost less than $500.
• 88% cost less than $1,000.
Source: NOLO. (2014). Your right to a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA). Retrieved from http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/free-books/employee-rightsbook/chapter7-8.html
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Resources
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Committee on the Health and Safety Needs of Older Workers, National Research
Council, & Institute of Medicine. (2004). Health and safety needs of older workers.
Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
Healthy aging for a sustainable workforce. (2009, February 17-18). Paper presented at
the Healthy Aging for Workers conference, National Labor College, Silver Spring, MD.
Retrieved from http://www.publichealth.uiowa.edu/hwce/researcher/AgingWorkersWorkshopReport_11%2009_Final.pdf
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2005). Older drivers in the workplace:
Crash prevention for employers and workers. Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2005-159/pdfs/2005-159.pdf
Government of Alberta, Human Resources and Employment. (2006). Safe and healthy: A
guide to managing an aging workforce. Retrieved from
http://alis.alberta.ca/pdf/cshop/safehealthy.pdf
University of Washington. Designing the Age-Friendly Workplace website. Retrieved
from http://www.agefriendlyworkplace.org
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Expenditures for Selected Medical Conditions
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Older Workers and Work-Related Illnesses
and Injuries
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Workers ages 65 and older have the lowest rate of work-related
illnesses and injuries (89 cases per 10,000 full-time workers).
But they require more time away from work to recover (median 14
days).
Workers between the ages of 45 and 54 have a higher rate of illness
and injuries (121.7 per 10,000 full-time workers) but shorter
recovery times (11 median days).
The types of injuries also vary, with workers age 65 and older having
fewer sprains but more fractures.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau or Labor Statistics. (2013). Older workers less likely to have severe work
injuries, but they miss more work days to recover. TED: The Editor's Desk. Retrieved from
http://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2013/ted_20131230.htm.
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Injuries and Illnesses in 2012
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All Occupational Injuries and Illnesses by Age
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Falls on the Same Level
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Contact with Objects and Equipment
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Overexertion
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Safety
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Older workers tend to experience fewer workplace injuries than their
younger colleagues. Possible reasons include experience (years in the
workplace), increased caution and awareness of physical limitations.
When accidents involving older workers do occur, older workers
need more time to heal. This underscores the need for a wellplanned return-to-work program.
Incidents affecting older workers are more likely to be fatal. This
illustrates the need for employers to be mindful of how best to adapt
the work conditions to protect workers and to explore opportunities
for preventive programs.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2013). Healthy aging at work. Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/healthyagingatwork/
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Age-Friendly Workplace Strategies
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Prioritize workplace flexibility. Workers prefer jobs with flexibility over more vacation days.
To the extent possible, give workers a say in their schedule, work conditions, work
organization, work location and work tasks.
Match tasks to abilities. Use self-paced work, self-directed rest breaks and less repetitive
tasks.
Avoid prolonged, sedentary work. Prolonged sedentary work is bad for workers at every
age. Consider sit/stand workstations and walking workstations for workers who traditionally
sit all day. Provide onsite physical activity opportunities or connections to low-cost
community options.
Manage hazards. Such hazards include noise, slip/trip hazards and physical hazards—
conditions that can challenge an aging workforce more.
Provide and design ergo-friendly work environments. Ergonomic workstations and tools,
nonslip floor surfaces, adjustable seating, better illumination where needed, and screens
and surfaces with less glare.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2013). Healthy aging at work. Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/healthyagingatwork/
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Age-Friendly Workplace Strategies (continued)
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Use teams and teamwork strategies for aging-associated problem-solving. Workers
closest to the problem are often best equipped to find the fix.
Provide health promotion and lifestyle interventions, including physical activity,
healthy meal options, tobacco cessation assistance, risk factor reduction and screenings,
coaching and onsite medical care. Accommodate medical self-care in the workplace and
time away for health visits.
Invest in training and building worker skills and competencies at all age levels. Help
older employees adapt to new technologies, often a concern for employers and older
workers.
Proactively manage reasonable accommodations and the return-to-work process after
illness or injury absences.
Require aging workforce management skills training for supervisors. Include a focus on
the most effective ways to manage a multigenerational workplace.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2013). Healthy aging at work. Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/healthyagingatwork/
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Review Slide
This module considered the following:
1. Productivity: Health and ability.
2. Disabilities and accommodations.
3. Health and safety.
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