THE ER SHIFT: INCREASING PRODUCTIVITY BY HIRING OLDER WORKERS
No, that’s not employee relations, although, I guess it could be since increasing productivity might be seen as an employee relations success.
What ER really stands for is Early Riser. And it comes from a notion put out by John Challenger of outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas who thinks companies should try an ER Shift that runs from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. to increase the productivity of older workers.
According to Challenger the number of workers aged 55+ has increased significantly over the last few years and offering this ER option would be highly valued by older employees who want afternoons off to pursue other interests.
Personally, I want my whole day off to pursue other interests, but that’s just not going to happen soon since I still have to pay the house note and put food on the table!
A study by the University of Toronto found that older people are at their sharpest in the morning, so early hours are more conducive to quality work. In addition, the study found that memory differences between age groups were cut in half in the morning.
Want some other ideas on how to improve the productivity and attract mature workers? Try flex options, mentoring, better lighting and enlarged characters on computer screens.
Alright, so we know it’s not just about creating a special shift, hiring older workers, seasoned vets, aging experts, whatever you want to call them, hiring them is just a smart thing to do.
And I don’t say this just because I’m going to be there someday, too (though I do want to set up the right karma now).
I say this because it has become apparent to me that the graying of America seems to be distasteful to so many people. As if aging is a bad thing. But what we all need to remember is that aging is a large part of the normal lifecycle – for all of us.
Explore posts in the same categories: Employee Retention, Job Satisfaction, Performance Management
