We Americans have always thought of ourselves as a young country --
brash, innovative, full of vigor. However, the uncomfortable truth
is that America is getting older. The nation's median age was
twenty-five in the 1960s, but today more than half of us are over
thirty-five. By the middle of the next century, there will be more
Americans in their seventies than in their teens. This demographic
shift will transform all aspects of our society, but nowhere will
its effects be more evident than in America's workplaces. In ten
years, the massive baby-boom generation will begin to reach
retirement age, but few companies have paid attention to the fact
that there are not enough younger workers to replace them. The
challenge to corporate America, as Beverly Goldberg argues in "Age
Works, " is to reinvent the workplace to make it better fit the
needs of all employees, especially the older workers it must retain
in order to thrive.
The task will not be easy. The waves of downsizing, outsourcing,
and cost-cutting of the 1980s and 1990s created a generation of
disillusioned employees, many of whom now eagerly look forward to
retirement as a way to escape the anxieties of corporate life. More
Americans than ever are retiring early, but what is most surprising
about these early retirees is that they are not spending their days
playing tennis, golf, or shuffleboard. Rather, they are starting
businesses, doing volunteer work, and pursuing intellectual
interests. They are "working, " just not within the corporate
world.
The challenge to the business community, Goldberg argues, is to
find ways to hold on to these talented individuals. "Age Works"
shows how corporations such as Whirlpool, GTE, and Days Inns have
changed their corporate cultures to be more receptive to the needs
of older workers. Goldberg debunks the myths about older workers'
capabilities, showing how forward-looking companies have
successfully taught high-tech skills to a generation that was not
brought up with computers. She also proposes innovative reforms for
the way we think about the concept of retirement itself, offering
new ways of thinking about pensions, Social Security, mentoring
programs, flex-time, and flex jobs.
With effective tips for rebuilding company loyalty without
making guarantees of lifetime employment, "Age Works" is an
indispensable guide for employers who must respond to a rapidly
changing workforce. It is also essential reading for all Americans
who are concerned about our nation's economic vitality in the
twenty-first century.
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