According to the Claims Journal, more and more older workers are continuing to work well past retirement age. While older workers bring a lot of skills and experience to their jobs, old age is a factor in people becoming injured. The Journal story cites data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for 2017 which shows that the 65 and older work category is likely to grow faster than any other age group through 2024.
Another Claims Journal article cited that senior employment (65 and older) increased 101 % between 1997 and 2007. Employment of seniors 75 and older grew by 172% during this time. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2020 25%of Americans will be older than 55.
Workers between 25 and 54 are not expected to grow as much as older workers in part due to declining birth rates.
Why seniors are still working
Some of the reasons seniors are working longer are seniors are living longer because of better medical care, financial need, and the lack of good workers. Another factor is the desire of older workers to be productive.
A major concern about older workers isn’t so much that their get hurt more – it’s that their injuries tend to me more severely injured when they do have an accident. Many older workers who suffer a workplace accident do die. As an example, nearly 3,200 workers 55 or older were killed in vehicle accidents between 1992 and 2002. 22% of these accidents were work-related. Falls are another cause of fatal accidents for the elderly.
Older workers, according to Department of Labor statistics, are more likely to develop disabilities. Seniors are at increased risk for diabetes and obesity. While these conditions don’t automatically qualify a worker for work benefits, if another cause (such as a fall) causes injury – these conditions can make the recovery time much longer. Other pre-existing conditions can also extend the recovery time.
Older workers are also more likely to experience sprains and strains if they do manual labor work. The Claims Journal stories also indicate that older workers can have more mental challenges processing information which can lead to more accidents.
Practical suggestions
The Department of Labor recommends that employers consider these programs to help reduce injuries to older workers:
- Wellness programs
- Ergonomic and workplace design changes
- Other adjustments to help keep older workers functioning at their peak
The NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) recently started the National Center for Productive Aging and Work. This a “virtual center,” specifically created to help understand how to make older workers productive. The Center’s Director, John Howard, M.D., said that the Center hopes to continue its research to create a safe environment for aging workers.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) also suggests that employers consider the following workplace changes:
- There needs to be more flexibility. Flexibility includes making adjustments in schedules, assigned tasks, and work locations.
- Work environments should include some movement. It’s generally not good for workers including older workers to sit all day. Work areas should include work stations where the employee can sit and stand. Work assignments should encourage some physical movement
- Protections should be in place to minimize the risk of slips, trips, and falls. Railings should be installed. Floors should be examined for broken tiles and carpet tears. Aisles should be cleared of equipment and merchandise. Even though there is no need to prove fault in a North Carolina workers’ compensation case, employees should use some of the fall protection safeguards that property owners use to protect their customers.
- Teams should be used to solve workplace problems and help workers coordinate tasks with other workers
- Health lifestyles should be promoted. Simple things like providing better nutrition at the workplace should be encouraged. Workers should be encouraged, not discouraged, to treat with their doctors and specialists.
Concerns about the changing workforce
The Claims Journal raised several other concerns about elder workers:
Experienced workers are being replaced by millennials as well as many less skilled workers. Many baby boomers are retiring when they reach 65. The combination of less skilled workers and senior workers affects how work is done. Less skilled workers require expensive training which many employers can’t afford. More safety designs for older workers can add to employer expenses too. Without the necessary training and safety expenses, more accidents are likely.
Unfortunately, one of the problems is that the health of the average American worker seems to be declining. This is true of older workers too. According to the Claims Journal stories, “When an injured worker has at least one chronic condition, the workers’ compensation claim cost doubles. If they have two or more, the cost of the work comp claim goes up fivefold.”
Another change in the workplace is the increased use of opioids to treat chronic pain, although this, in turn, has been affected by the new regulations with respect to opioids.
This is nothing new to our firm. We have always tended to represent a higher percentage of older workers because frankly, when an older worker is injured, it is less likely that he or she will recover sufficiently to be able to return to pre-injury employment. And this translates into a higher potential settlement.
More Hispanic workers
Hispanics also are changing the everyday work forces. According to BLS, about 23 million Hispanic or Latino workers comprised 15% of the country’s workforce in 2011. That number is expected to rise to 19% by 2020.
Because the Latino population is rising, it is important to hire workers who understand Spanish and English and workers who understand other languages. We have seen this create problems, particularly in the area of construction. Workers who cannot understand each other while working at heights is a recipe for disaster and serious injury.
Learning each other’s language also helps workers culturally connect. It also helps employers who want to develop relationships with foreign businesses. Even insurance companies understand the need to hire insurance adjusters and nurse case managers who are speak Spanish. Insurance companies that establish language lines also helps employees who are injured.
Talk with an Experienced North Carolina workers’ compensation attorney today
Workers’ compensation attorney Joe Miller Esq., represents injured workers of any age, although more often than not, our clients tend to be over 50. He fights for workers who work in construction, manufacturing, shipping, healthcare, telecommunications, firefighting, law enforcement, and any type of job. He understands the injuries that are unique to your profession and the ones that are common to many professions. He’ll fight to get you all the wage compensation loss you deserve plus all the medical payments you need to get better. For help from a highly respected lawyer, please phone Joe Miller Law at the Work Injury Center at (888) 694-1671 or fill out my contact form to schedule an appointment.
