WHEN OLDER WORKERS ARE NOT EXPENDABLE: ORGANIZATIONAL CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH HIRING AND DEVELOPING PEOPLE OVER AGE 55

Abstract

Explores organizational conditions associated with continued career opportunities for older workers. Specifically, examines relationships between selected organizational conditions (size, industry, and recent hiring level); need for older workers (organizational growth and labour shortage); age composition of the workforce; initiatives to accommodate, use and develop older workers; employers′ attitudes towards older workers; and employers′ interest in participating in a job fair to hire older workers. Data were collected in 306 firms in one geographic area. The results show that accommodating, using, and training older workers were related to need and age composition of the employee body. Desire to hire older workers in the future was linked to organization size, need, and existing programmes which accommodate older workers. Discusses the results in terms of employers′ increasing willingness to accommodate and retain older workers by providing opportunities for continued development.