Most workers dream of the day when they can leave their job and live the twilight years of life in idle bliss free from the oppressive tyranny of the time clock. For some, however, their job is the engine that keeps the wheels moving forward which can create a problem when they refuse to leave a job even when production has slipped and the rest of the office is looking to move up the seniority ladder. For management, this can be a thorny issue since forcing out the worker, or even suggesting the worker retire, in favor of a younger employee may lead to age discrimination issues. But all is not lost, older workers, even when their work slips in quality somewhat, are an excellent source for institutional knowledge that might not be available from other sources as well as being ready made mentors for younger workers that might one day move into the same position. In the end, businesses should view workers beyond retirement age as an asset that has much to offer to the community and not attempt to force them out unless good cause exist.
See Karla L. Miller, @Work Advice: Putting the old, gray co-worker out to pasture, Washington Post, November 12, 2015.
Special thanks to Lewis Saret for bringing this article to my attention.
