UK Report Finds that Employers Provide Inadequate Support for Older Workers with Health Conditions

The United Kingdom's Centre for Ageing Better has issued a research report showing that employers are not properly supporting older workers experiencing long-term physical and mental health conditions. According to "Health warning for employers: Supporting older workers with health conditions," older workers are more likely than younger workers to be managing multiple long-term conditions, and health conditions are the main driver of older workers exiting the labor market before they reach state pension age.

In addition, the report found that disclosing a health condition to one's employer is a stressful and repeated process. Poor workplace culture and overly bureaucratic procedures result in many people putting off health-related conversations with their employer until absolutely necessary.

The report was written by Jemma Mouland, Senior Programme Manager, based on research conducted for the Centre for Ageing Better by YouGov and Mustard Research.

Among other things, the report recommends that employers should:

- Normalise conversations around health at work and create a supportive, empathetic and
open culture around managing health conditions at work.
- Ensure full and equal access to support for health at work, including flexible working
and workplace adjustments for all employees. These adjustments are often small and
inexpensive and employers should provide them proactively and consistently.
- Ensure adjustments and support are sustained.

Source: Centre for Ageing Better News Release (April 26, 2018)

New Zealand: Research Published on Income Losses for Injured Older Workers

According to University of Otago research, injuries impact on the financial well-being of older workers with substantial lost earnings of between 20% and 30% of their work income, but that the loss in work income is mitigated by public income transfers. Thus, the average total income losses are much less overall at between 3% and 7%.

As authored by Senior Research Fellow at the University of Otago’s Injury Prevention Research Unit, Dr Rebbecca Lilley, and Injury Prevention Research Unit Deputy Director Gabrielle Davie, "Financial impact of injury in older workers: use of a national retrospective e-cohort to compare income patterns over 3 years in a universal injury compensation scheme" highlights the importance of the social welfare safety nets New Zealand currently has.

Using Statistics NZ’s Integrated Data Infrastructure, the researchers identified a cohort of 617,722 workers aged 45 to 64 years, of whom more than 20,000 had a substantial work or non-work injury in 2009. They followed the cohort for three years and found income reduced over that time with the losses greater for those that were injured. In the third year, those injured received on average NZ$2,630 less than the comparison group, equivalent to a seven per cent drop in income.

The authors note that, like many developed nations, New Zealand’s working population is rapidly aging which has implications for the burden of injury and subsequent injury-related disability in New Zealand. By 2023, one in three of New Zealand’s workers will be aged over 45.

Dr Lilley says given the country has an aging population and people are increasingly continuing to work past the traditional retirement age, it is important that workplaces do everything they can to help get people back to work as soon as possible. “Older workers are renowned for being a highly reliable and engaged workforce and given we have a rapidly ageing workforce and future employment shortages, it’s vital that workplaces really engage with improving working conditions to encourage their workers to get back to work more rapidly."

Source: University of Otega News Release (May 1, 2018)

Research: Implications of Aging Workforce for Occupational Nurses

According to a paper authored by Mercedia Stevenson White, RN, BSN, CHPN, Candace Burns, PhD, ARNP, and Helen Acree Conlon, DNP, MPH, ARNP-BC, COHN-S, occupational health nurses play a pivot role in implementing best practices for establishing a culture that promotes safe, aging-friendly workplaces. In "The Impact of an Aging Population in the Workplace," they outline the implications of an aging population in the workplace, and discuss benefits, safety concerns, and discriminatory attitudes towards older adults that continue to pursue full-time work well after their retirement years.

Abstract:

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of people 65 years of age or older living in the United States is projected to double by 2030 to 72 million adults, representing 20% of the total U.S. population. Evidence suggests that older Americans are working longer and spending more time on the job than their peers did in previous years. The increased number of older adults working longer is observed not only in the Unites States but also worldwide. There are numerous ramifications associated with the changing demographics and the expanding prevalence of an aging population in the workforce. Dynamics that arise include stereotyping and discrimination, longevity and on-site expert knowledge, variances in workplace behavior, a multigenerational employee pool, chronic disease management, occupational safety, and the application of adaptive strategies to reduce injury occurrences. Occupational health nurses play a pivotal role in implementing best practices for an aging-friendly workplace.

Source: "The Impact of an Aging Population in the Workplace" Workplace Health & Safety (March 5, 2018)

Research Finds Lack of Employer Support for Older Employees and Problem Drinking

According to a study conducted by the International Longevity Centre-UK (ILC-UK), older adults in employment and facing retirement are being let down by employers when it comes to problem drinking. "Easing the transition: The relationship between alcohol and labour market activity in the over 50s population of the UK" sets out the specific barriers and challenges faced by over 50s with current or previous drinking problems at three stages of labour market activity: unemployment, employment and retirement.

Among other things, the report finds that it is older ages (60-69) of the professional occupational class that are most likely to be high risk drinkers. While only 6% under the age of 30 drink heavily, nearly 25% of those aged 60-69 drink heavily. In addition, the report concludes that there is a "blind spot" in support from employers and the state in preparing for retirement which falls short of emotional, health and social changes. "For those over 50s still employed stress, boredom, lack of control over work and retirement worries all contribute to drinking more."

The authors call for employers to introduce measures to assist employees over 50 who might be struggling with an alcohol problem, such as counseling and effective workplace policies that treat alcohol issues like any other health issue. In addition, the report calls for greater engagement from employers to staff pre- and post-retirement. This includes social clubs and guidance on how to avoid alcohol becoming a problem once working life is over.

Source: International Longevity Centre-UK Press Release (December 12, 2016)

BLS Finds Older Workers Have Less Severe Injuries, but Miss More Work Days for Recovery

According to an analysis of data by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, older workers are less likely to have severe work injuries, but they miss more work days to recover. Specifically, while the overall rate of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses requiring days away from work to recuperate was 112 cases per 10,000 full-time workers in 2012, down from 117 cases in 2011, and the median days away from work—a key measure of severity of injuries and illnesses was 9 days in 2012, workers aged 65 and older had the lowest incidence rate at 89 cases per 10,000 full-time workers, but they required the longest time away from work to recover: a median of 14 days.

Drawing on BLS's "Nonfatal Occupational Injuries and Illnesses Requiring Days away from Work, 2012," it was also reported that workers ages 45 to 54 had the most cases of injuries and illnesses of any age group, with 293,700 cases in 2012, and had the highest incidence rate--121.7 cases per 10,000 full-time workers. Their median days away from work for these workers to recover was 11 days.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics TED: The Editor's Desk (December 30, 2013)

Insurance Industry Extends Research Finding Few Age Differences among Workers Compensation Claims

The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI), which published a report in 2011 finding that, on average, costs for workers aged 35 and older tend to be quite similar, has published a new report that extends the 2011 analysis and finds additional similarities between the 35-and-older-age cohorts. Specifically, "NCCI Workers Compensation and the Aging Workforce: Is 35 the New “Older” Worker?" compares the share of claims by diagnosis and age cohort resulting from permanent partial, temporary total, and medical-only injuries, goes on to identify the factors that account for the observed increases in severities over time for various age cohorts, and concludes by examining safety and loss control programs related to the aging workforce.

Among other things, the report finds that, for a range of specific diagnoses, the shares by type of workplace injury (i.e., temporary total, permanent partial, and medical only) are remarkably comparable across age cohorts. For example, the shares of claims due to "sprain of neck" that were temporary total injuries are virtually identical for both younger and older workers.

In addition, the report finds that injuries due to high severity diagnoses have historically been more common for older workers, but those high severity diagnoses are now becoming common in younger-age cohorts as well.

Source: National Council on Compensation Insurance Press Release (October 31, 2012)

United Kingdom: Rise in Older Workers and in Employer Fears of Cost of Health Issues

According to a survey from Aviva, companies in the United Kingdom are already starting to see a change in their workforce demographics resulting from elimination of the default retirement age, prompting fears that aging workforce health issues will affect their company. "Aviva’s Health of the Workplace" reports that 29% of employers are already seeing a rise in the average age of employees, 37% of employers expect to see their workforce get older in the future, and 38% believe that ageing workforce health issues will impact their company. Aviva does note, however that 50% of employers believe there are positive benefits for individuals working past the traditional retirement age.

A quarter (24%) of employers are concerned that an increase in the numbers of older employees will see sickness absence rates rise. A similar proportion of employers (26%) were concerned that older employees would be absent with more serious conditions than their younger colleagues. Not surprisingly, nearly three-quarters (70%) of employers believe that health issues in the workplace will increase because older employees suffer from different medical complications to younger employees.

Employers also note that they will need to respond to these concerns, 29% saying they would need to offer different health advice, 18% that they would need to offer different health benefits, and 23% that they would need training to help spot signs of serious illness, such as dementia. In addition, 36% realized they may need to introduce flexible working hours for older employees.

Source: Aviva News Release (September 27, 2012)

"Bouncy Floors" and Other Innovations: Making Workplace Safer for Older Workers

In one of series of articles on older workers, Misty Harris writes that "[f]rom offices with flex-floors to injectable heart monitors and mobile medication alerts, experts predict our job sites could one day come to offer a standard of safety approaching that of a care facility." Among other developments in the offing that could come to the workplace, Harris points to:

• biometric sensors no bigger than Band-Aids that will improve doctors’ capacity to remotely monitor workers’ overall health;
  
• smart canes that provide real-time feedback on proper gait and potentially alert a person’s colleagues by text if a fall occurs in the workplace;
  
• belts with built-in airbags that deploy when sensors detect that a fall is imminent; and
  
• a "bouncy" floor that's compliant enough to absorb a fall, but hard enough not to inhibit regular activity.

As Harris points out, it’s "all part of a vision of the future in which employees and employers alike assume greater responsibility for workers’ well-being."

"If you’ve got people living longer, and they’re reasonably healthy, they need to be able to work," says Gloria Gutman, director emerita of the Simon Fraser University Gerontology Research Centre. "You could think of gerontechnology as the idea of, 'what can we (make) that will allow people to do that for as long as possible?'"

Source: Postmedia News "New tech helps aging workers bounce back from health issues, falls--literally" (March 19, 2012)

Additional Source: See also AARP Blog "Reading This On A Computer? The Glasses You May Need" (March 19, 2012)

United Kingdom: Report Examines Older Employee Health in Light of Elimination of Default Retirement Age

UNISON has issued a report with analysis of the English Longitudinal Survey of Ageing (ELSA), carried out for it by the NatCen Social Research, challenging the common sense view of politicians that as life expectancy is increasing we all need to work longer before we retire with "the fact that when we are older we are more likely to experience health-related issues that make it unlikely that we will be able to work to the same level as earlier in our careers." According to "Older Workers Briefing Report: Secondary analysis of ELSA," recognizing and responding to these issues will be an important consideration for both employees and employers.

Among other things, the report highlights that, of people aged 60-65, 32% have a longstanding health issue that limits their activities, 28% have a self-reported health issue that limits their work, 28% are often in severe or
moderate pain, and 51% report some kind of mobility difficulty. Looking at employees at those age, the report highlights that they are concentrated in jobs where they are mostly sitting or standing, they have a lower incidence
of limiting health issues compared with 60-65 year olds generally, and one-third reported that their employer had changed their job in some way or that they would like it to change.

Thus, the report suggests employment practices will come under scrutiny for their role in dealing fairly with capability issues and facilitating continued employment. For example:

[S]ome older workers find the mental and/or physical demands of their job difficult and points to a desire among some for greater flexible working in the form of part-time hours, job sharing, flexi-time and home working. Increasing the availability of such arrangements may indeed be one way in which employers and employees can negotiate some of the challenges that working into old age is likely to pose.

However, Dave Prentis, UNISON's General Secretary, believes that just better practices are not enough: "We need longer-term solutions that guarantee protections and support for all older workers, and recognise health inequalities that mean many who work longer will find work harder and then have fewer years left to them when they retire."

Source: NatCen Social Research Blog Posting (March 8, 2012)

Vision Benefits Underutilized by Older Workers

The annual Employee Perceptions of Vision Benefits survey conducted by Transitions Optical, Inc. finds that today’s aging U.S. workforce isn’t fully taking advantage of vision benefits provided by companies, and they are "missing out on a critical preventive care opportunity and leaving themselves at higher risk for age-related vision problems, eye diseases and chronic conditions that impact eye health and compromise productivity." Specifically, the survey found that baby boomers (ages 45-64) are only slightly more likely than younger employees to enroll in their vision benefit (79% vs 75%), and the 34% of baby boomers and 23% of those ages 65+ who enroll do not utilize their benefit to receive a comprehensive eye exam.

According to the survey, employees’ actual experiences with many vision-related issues do increase with age, but even older employees had limited awareness of these changes. Thus, for example, half of baby boomers were unaware that they may have more trouble seeing far away or seeing well in dim lighting as they grow older. Similarly, three in 10 were unaware of the increased risk for eye diseases such as cataract, glaucoma and macular degeneration.

Employers were also cited for not taking appropriate steps to make sure employees understand their vision benefit. While only 18% percent of employees reported that their employers do not communicate to them about their vision benefit, nearly 60% percent of employers provide only basic vision plan information during the open enrollment period and only 13% of employees said their employers also include information on the importance of eye health.

Source: Transitions Optical, Inc. Press Release (January 31, 2012)

Research: Investigation of Effect of Providing Yoga and Other Vitality Intervention on Older Workers

Research published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health has evaluated the effectiveness of a worksite vitality intervention on vigorous physical activity (VPA), fruit intake, aerobic capacity, mental health and need for recovery after work among older hospital workers (ie, 45 years and older). According to the Dutch researchers (Jorien E Strijk, Karin I Proper, Allard J van der Beek, and Willem van Mechelen) who carried out the research at two hospitals, implementation of worksite yoga and workout facilities and minimal fruit interventions should be considered by employers to promote transitions into healthier lifestyles and thereby health.

The research grew out of the premise that longer life expectancies and lower birth rates are leading to an aging society and subsequently a shrinkage of the workforce, so that aging workers are required in the near future. However, efforts just to raise retirement ages will not overcome the physical effects of aging. Thus, in order to prolong the working life of older workers and increase their employability, it is important to promote and maintain good health.

This study showed that intervention group workers significantly increased their weekly sports activities and fruit intake when compared to control group workers. Also, the intervention favourably affected the NFR after a day of work. No effects were observed for VPA, aerobic capacity and mental health.

The authors had earlier published an article on "A process evaluation of a worksite vitality intervention among ageing hospital workers" in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.

Source: Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health "A worksite vitality intervention to improve older workers' lifestyle and vitality-related outcomes: results of a randomised controlled trial." (January 20, 2012)

Work-relevant Musculoskeletal Disorders among Older Workers

According to an article by Kathy Lewis, director of Working-Health Physiotherapy and Ergonomics, factors influencing work-relevant musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) in the older workforce are numerous and complex, but an increasing understanding of this is emerging. After considering the positive and negative impacts of employing an older worker and highlighting how an organization can help support the aging population to help sustain a productive and healthy workforce with regards to neuromusculoskeletal health, she suggests a series of best practices for employers:

1. assess the determinants of work ability of the older worker;
2. target available resources to identified problem areas, aiming at an individual, group or organizational level and including such things as examination of job demands versus individual capabilities; examination of work-rest scheduling; shift-work guidance; examination of current reporting systems; and
3. consider policy implications with regards to the neuromusculoskeletal health of the older worker, such as age strategy; and
   the prevention of age discrimination in the workplace.

Source: Personnel Today"Work-relevant MSDs and the older workforce" (October 1, 2011)

Research Study Finds Disparity Between Effects of Arthritis on Blue Collar and White Collar Older Workers

White-collar workers have a higher overall health-related quality of life than do other workers, and suffer fewer quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) lost to arthritis at all ages, according to research published in the September 2012 issue of the American Journal of Public Health. Thus, for example, while 65-year-old white-collar workers without arthritis look forward to 17 QALYs of future life, blue-collar workers with arthritis experience only 11, and are much less likely to remain in the workforce than are those in service, farming, or white-collar jobs.

In "Arthritis, Occupational Class, and the Aging US Workforce," Alberto Cabán-Martinez, DO, at the time of the study a professor in the department of epidemiology and public health at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Florida, and the other authors note that this is a signficant workplace issue because it is often the lower-income individuals who, for financial reasons, need to remain in the workforce longer, despite greater health problems than white-collar workers. Among other things, the research found that, in workers aged 65 and older, approximately 67% of farmers, 58% of those in service, 51% in white-collar occupations, and 47% of those in blue-collar jobs had arthritis.

Dr. Cabán-Martinez says it is important to use studies like this to reinforce the need for workforce change. The authors suggest improving disability and unemployment insurance and arthritis health promotion interventions.

He suggests using ergonomic interventions, or changing the workflow or duties to allow people to remain productive longer. For instance, a nurse or police officer could be reassigned from patient handling or street patrol to perform administrative duties. “Wal-Mart might have an elderly greeter at the door instead of at a labor-intensive job so it is not so burdensome on the joints and body,” he says.

Source: Arthritis Today"Arthritis Hits Blue-collar Workers Harder" (August 12, 2011)

Research: Costs of Illness and Early Retirement of Older Workers in Australia

Australian researchers have published results showing that illness-related early retirement has significant economic impacts on both the individual and on governments as a result of lost income, lost taxation revenue and increased government support payments, and quantifying the extent of these impacts for Australia. According to "Economic impacts of illness in older workers: quantifying the impact of illness on income, tax revenue and government spending"

[P]ersons out of the labour force due to illness had significantly lower incomes ($218 per week as opposed to $1,167 per week for those employed full-time), received significantly higher transfer payments, and paid significantly less tax than those employed full-time or part-time. This results in an annual national loss of income of over $17 billion, an annual national increase of $1.5 billion in spending on government support payments, and an annual loss of $2.1 billion in taxation revenue.

The authors--Deborah J Schofield, Rupendra N Shrestha, Richard Percival, Megan E Passey, Simon J Kelly, and Emily J Callander--conclude that "In the past, policy has focused upon economic incentives to defer retirement. However, as ill health is a primary barrier to workforce participation in older Australians, economic incentives alone may not be able to increase participation if the underlying health conditions are not addressed. Investment in improvements in health is potentially an important way of improving national living standards."

Source: BioMed Central Public Health Volume 11 Abstract (June 1, 2011)

Insurers Report Little Difference in Worker's Compensation Experience Among Worrkers 35 to 64

According to published reports, Research from the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) suggests that there are little cost differences in the workers' compensation system among workers after the age of 35, up through 64. In a presentation to NCCI's Annual Issues Symposium in Orlando, Harry Shuford, NCCI's chief economist is quoted as saying: "Whatever impact on claim costs baby boomers will have, it's already in the workers' comp system. So there is no more stress on the system."

Looking at the leading types of injuries for those in the 20 to 34 year age group compared to those between the ages of 45 and 64 shows some marked differences.

For example, the top claim diagnosis for lost time claims in the older age group is sprain/rotator cuff, something that doesn't appear at all in the top 10 list of diagnoses for the younger workers. Knees are another source of injury for older workers, with torn medial cartilage/meniscus of knee the fourth top diagnosis for older workers, but not showing up in the list for younger workers, who suffered more back injuries and ankle sprains.

Harry Shuford's slides from his presentation are available online at: "More Older Workers: Workers Compensation and an Aging Workforce."

Source: Risk & Insurance "NCCI: Baby boomers pose little additional concern for comp system" (May 31, 2011)

CDC Publishes Study on Older Workers Injuries and Illnesses at Work

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has published "Nonfatal Occupational Injuries and Illnesses Among Older Workers---United States, 2009" in which it reports that, although older workers had similar or lower rates for all injuries and illnesses combined compared with younger workers, the length of absence from work increased steadily with age and was highest for older workers.

CDC undertook the examination as older workers (defined as those aged ≥55 years) represented 19% of the U.S. workforce in 2009 and are the United States's fastest growing segment of the working population. Overall, there were medians of 11 and 12 days of absence from work for workers aged 55-64 years and 65 years and older, respectively.

Older workers had higher rates of falls on the same level, fractures, and hip injuries compared with younger workers and workers of all ages. Public health and research agencies should conduct research to better understand the overall burden of occupational injuries and illnesses on older workers, aging-associated risks, and effective prevention strategies. Employers and others should take steps to address specific risks for older workers such as falls (e.g., by ensuring floor surfaces are clean, dry, well-lit, and free from tripping hazards).

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (April 29, 2011)

Research Study Finds Older Workers Health Benefits from Wellness Coaching

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) have found that older workers benefit most from a modest health behavior program when it combines a web-based risk assessment with personal coaching. The Cost-Effective Health Promotion for Older Workers study was led by Susan Hughes, professor of community health sciences, co-director of the UIC Center for Research on Health and Aging at the Institute for Health Research and Policy.

According to Hughes, the health behaviors that were examined were physical activity, diet, stress reduction and smoking cessation, and 95% of workers aged 40-68 participating in the study used a Web-based risk assessment when theere was personal coaching support, but only 59% did so when there was no personal support. Hughes and her co-researchers have published the results of the study in the May 2011 issue of American Journal of Public Health: "Comparison of Two Health-Promotion Programs for Older Workers."

An interview with Hughes is also available online.

Source: University of Illinois at Chicago News Release (April 14, 2011)

Study: Older Workers Deal with Stress Better

A researcher at the University of Manchester Business School says that her research is finding that older workers are better at coping with emotional stress and burnout than their younger colleagues. According to Dr. Sheena Johnson, this is particularly the case in customer service industries, where employees often face high levels of conflict and stress, and older workers find their roles less emotionally draining and have less cynical attitudes towards customers than younger employees.

According to Dr. Johnson:

As life expectancy and the average age of the population increases, the age of the working population rises - it’s vital employers understand how they can benefit from employing older workers. For instance encouraging older workers to act as mentors could significantly improve emotional burnout and stress with younger members of a team.

Source: University of Manchester Business School News Release (February 7, 2011)

Other References: An older book with a contribution by Dr. Johnson:

Conference: British Psychologists Report on Value of Older Workforce

At a British Psychological Society conference on Occupational Psychology, three papers were presented on research showing the benefits of an aging workforce:

1. Chartered Health Psychologist Dr. Frances Reynolds investigated the impact that working till a later age could have on employees’ health and safety. Looking at the health and safety experiences of post-retirement age workers (age 60-91), Frances found that these older workers were highly engaged, experienced group who perceived themselves as unencumbered by the frailties traditionally associated with ageing. "Most described deriving physical and cognitive well-being from work; perceived few safety concerns; and believed that, by continuing working, they were maintaining their psychological and physical health."
2. Chartered Occupational Psychologist Mr. James Bywater (SHL Limited) presented research on the expectations, aspirations, work style and capabilities of ageing employees. According to James, there "is an assumption that older workers are not as valuable as younger workers, but based upon the evidence of this initial study there is no reason to discount this group as valuable human resources for the future." In fact, James found evidence that "older workers are more conventional and have less desire to lead and to achieve career goals but this is parried by their conscientious, emotional stability and better social skills."
3. Chartered Occupational Psychologist Dr. Sheena Johnson (Manchester Business School) investigated how the changing age demographic of workers may have implications for health and well-being of employees in service organisations. She found that older employees experienced fewer negative customer behaviours and were more diplomatic and better at keeping calm. "Overall being older and more experienced meant they were better at dealing with customers varied needs."

Source: British Psychological Society Press Release (January 14, 2011)

Respiratory Ailments Slow Down Older Workers

According to a study prepared by the British Thoracic Society (BTS), 29% of those aged 51 through 60 report that they experience breathlessness, and that most of those state that this has adverse consequences for their work. In fact, the respiratory ailments often led to an extended sickness absence and that workers were more likely to retire due to ill health.

Mike Morgan, chair of the BTS, said: “The research paints a stark picture of the impact of breathlessness on people’s work performance. With the expectation that people will be working for longer, more needs to be done to ensure that the correct strategies are in place to support older workers who might be affected by respiratory problems, and help them to lead their everyday lives.”

Sources: The Telegraph "British workforces 'not geared up' to employ older workers" (December 3, 2010); Personnel Today "One-third of older workers struggle to breathe" (December 2, 2010)