Managing an Ageing Workforce by Judy Jankovics,Training & Corporate Health Specialist

There is no doubt that the Australian workforce is ageing. The proportion of older people in the population is increasing and we are remaining at work longer to meet the demands of the cost of living. When you consider that the 45-plus age group which comprised 32% of the workforce in the 1980s has now reached up to 85% in the last 10 years, employers can’t control the reality of the future workforce composition. The challenge for employers is how to proactively manage their ageing workers to minimise the potential for workplace psychological and physical illness and injury. So…what can you do? Let’s start by exploring some of the changes the ageing body goes through to understand how this may impact on workplace health and then consider some management strategies to adopt to address the problem.

Physical Changes with Ageing

The major physical changes that occur with ageing are the loss of muscle mass and the loss of elasticity and increased wear and tear of our tendons, ligaments, discs and joints. For the housekeeping industry this loss of muscle mass reduces our strength and speed of movement which may result in workers having increased difficulty performing the heavier aspects of their job, completing all tasks at the required pace or losing their balance and increasing the risk of trips and falls. The loss of elasticity means that older workers are more likely to injure themselves and/or take longer to recover from injury than younger workers.  It is important to remember, however, that although a degree of this decline is considered an inevitable part of ageing, it is clearly accelerated by physical inactivity, disuse of muscles and inadequate protein intake. Those that perform strengthening exercises and lead a healthy and active lifestyle are less likely to be affected by the changes of ageing and to continue to meet the requirements of their role.

Chronic Illness and Ageing

Chronic illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes have been historically considered as a problem of older age. However, when we consider that the major risk factors for these conditions are lifestyle based (ie smoking, poor diet, physical inactivity, obesity, stress) it is no surprise that we are now seeing these illnesses in a much younger population. The presence of these illnesses in older workers may be a combination of ageing and the reduced elasticity of the heart muscles along with the long term effects of poor lifestyle choices. For the employer, the reduced fitness levels brought about by heart disease may impact on a worker’s ability to undertake the physical and psychological demands of their work along with the potential increased need for sick leave. For those with diabetes, sensation may be altered and recover from injury is slowed.

Psychological Changes with Ageing

As we age we are more likely to become vulnerable to depression and anxiety as a result of adjustment disorder. Let’s face it. No-one wants to get older and the challenges of our life experiences can increase the risk of psychological difficulties. The effects of cumulative grief, the loss of a spouse or family member, isolation and ageism can all contribute. The impact is greater for those of us who are not resilient and the challenge is there to ensure that we lead meaningful and well-balanced lives ensuring that we maintain relationships, set goals and remain engaged in activities that increase our self esteem. Workers who are not resilient do not bounce back as easily from physical or psychological illness or injury.

Management Strategies

With all that in mind, what can the employer do to manage their ageing workers and reduce incidents, the associated lost time at work (both in sick leave and workers’ compensation claims) and the cost of claims? If you consider that we are ALL ageing and that we want to retain our staff then a 30 year old worker today is going to become a 50 year old and may still be required to perform the same physical tasks. Employers need to take a proactive approach to build upon the strengths and protect against the vulnerabilities of workers as they age. The approach needs to be one of assessment and analysis of the current challenges, the implementation of a program to intervene and address the identified problems and then regular evaluation and improvement of the program.

1.1  Assessment and Analysis

The first step for employers is to gain an understanding of their current workforce needs – reviewing illness and injury trends with regard to an ageing factor / specific work task or area and assessing the current physical and psychological health and lifestyle status of their workforce.  These assessments may identify (among other things):

• Areas of skills and experience and any future training and recruitment needs
• Opportunities for progression of job roles to more “suitable” tasks as workers age, flexible work arrangements, social activities
• The need to address developing health issues in the workplace
• Work areas, tasks or individual workers that require further investigation

1.2 Intervention and Implementation:

The findings of the assessment and analysis of your workforce will determine the intervention strategies required. For example:

• Are you concerned that your workers are not meeting the demands of their work as they age?
• Are your injuries related to manual handling and the repetitive nature of housekeeping?
• Have you had an increase in the number of workers with chronic illness or psychological injuries and has this affected your sick leave and absenteeism rates?

1. 3.  Evaluation and Improvement

Whatever intervention measures you have adopted it is important that they form an integral part of your business operations; a band-aid approach will have little to no impact. Your program then needs to be periodically re-assessed to measure it’s effectiveness and to identify areas of improvement. Reviewing indicators such as absenteeism rates or workers’ compensation costs would allow you to start measuring the cost savings from your initiatives.

The Time is NOW

As they say, “time waits for no man” and this is never truer than in the context of ageing! The problems of the ageing workforce will not go away with a “head in the sand” approach. Be proactive and do something NOW!

As a Training and Corporate Health Specialist with Injury Treatment Pty Ltd., my role involves assisting employers to prevent workplace illness and injury.  I work with employers to diagnose their specific needs through gap analyses, risk assessments and health checks (to name a few) then develop innovative and tailored programs to address any concerns identified.  I am a physiotherapist with post graduate studies in Lifestyle Medicine who has been working in the field of occupational health for over 11 years. My areas of specialisation are ageing, obesity and health promotion and I am passionate about encouraging the adoption of healthy lifestyles.

This article is written by  Judy Jankovics | Training & Corporate Health Specialist | B.App.Sc.(Physiotherapy) Grad.Cert.Clin.Sc.(Lifestyle Medicine)