The Voices of Kentucky Employers: Benefits, Challenges, and Promising Practices for an Aging Workforce

Abstract

This study explored Kentucky employers’ preparedness for the aging workforce using focus groups and a survey. Although employers perceived many benefits of older workers, five key challenges of an aging workforce emerged: institutional knowledge loss, older workers’ dependent care commitments, health and safety problems, generation gaps, and lack of technical skills. The results also suggested potential solutions and organizational practices to address each of these challenges. These practices include succession planning, meaningful work, flexible work, safety climate, wellness programs, generational empathy training, technology training, and intergenerational mentoring.

Keywords:

• aging workforce
• organizational practice
• knowledge loss
• succession planning

Acknowledgments

This study was funded in part by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), contract #211-2010-36715.