More and more adults are working past the traditional retirement age of sixty-five. Some of these older workers simply enjoy their jobs and don’t see any reason to stop doing what they love. Others may want to retire, but they feel locked into the work force because they need the income and benefits that come from their work to survive. Workers over the age of sixty-five make up one-fifth of the American work force. The number of employees in this age group is expected to increase even more, due to rising costs of living and increasing concerns over the future of social security.
As people age, they face increased risks of illness and injury whether they are at work or not. Consequently, older workers experience a greater risk of workplace injury than younger workers do. Workplace injuries among older workers are the topic of continuous research because employers and regulators want to learn how to make it safe for workers to be employed for as long as they would like to work. Older workers contribute a lot of knowledge and experience to any workplace; they often have a very strong work ethic, and they often inspire positive feelings in the workplace environments in which they are employed.
Research has revealed that the most common health concerns for older workers are arthritis and hypertension, neither of which may be explicitly caused by their work. Each of those conditions can occur in individuals whether they work or not. Over three-quarters of workers who are age sixty-five and over have at least one chronic health condition that must be managed. While these numbers are not tied to work-related health conditions, they do have the potential to affect worker performance and safety in the workplace.
The level of skill and experience that older workers tend to have, as well as their long-term familiarity with safety rules and their tendency to be cautious workers all result in a lower injury rate for older workers than for younger workers. When these older workers do get hurt, though, they tend to suffer greater harm than their younger counterparts. Their injuries often take longer to heal, and they are more likely to die as the result of their injuries. This means that employers need to think proactively to keep older workers safe on the job. Work environment design and flexible scheduling are just a couple of the ways that employers adapt the work and the workplace to fit older workers’ needs. Some older workers may also be able to work from home, depending on what they do for work.
Barrett Law PLLC: Helping Injured Mississippi Workers
The knowledgeable Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC take pride in meeting the needs of injured workers and their families. If you have questions about Mississippi worker’s compensation claims, please call the experienced Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC right away, at 1 (601) 790-1505 to schedule a free initial consultation.
