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Health benefits can pay dividends for employers

Getting old is never easy—not for our parents, not for us, not for our workforce. An aging workforce faces more challenges than simply getting to work on time and putting in a full day. Americans are living and working longer, and school districts have to address the needs of older employees. The percentage of workers in the U.S. aged 45 and older will increase from 33 percent in 1998 to 40 percent in 2008. The median age of the workforce is now 40.7 years old—in California, the average age is 33. Among California school district employees, the average age is 43; focusing on district office personnel, the average age of management staffers and administrators is 51 years old.
An aging workforce will impact school districts fiscally for two reasons. One is the range of ergonomic factors behind aging and how it impacts injury rates. The other is a hidden issue that’s not often discussed: obesity. In 1991 the obesity rate was 10 percent of the population. It is predicted that by 2011, the rate will be close to 30 percent! Obesity brings with it a multitude of health, joint and musculoskeletal problems. Combined with an aging body, the fiscal impact to school districts will be substantial.

Issues specific to school districts
The average age of an injured school district worker in one recent study by the insurance brokerage Keenan & Associates was 47. If the data had reflected injuries occurring to employees in their early 20s, one could reasonably recommend stronger new-hire orientation programs. With the average age for injury at 47, though, one must consider the effects that an overweight, aging body has on injury rates. In today’s economy, many district employees need or want to work past the normal retirement. One study by the American Association of Retired Persons found that eight in 10 baby-boomers plan to work during their “retirement years.”
Realistically, districts are looking at taking care of older workers longer. A prudent employer would want to keep employees as fit and healthy as possible for as long as possible. Healthy, strong bodies tend to have fewer workplace injuries, better attitudes, less absenteeism, and they tend to work more safely, regardless of age.
No one plans on getting older or overweight. It just happens, without effort, to most of us. But many of the changes in our bodies are more a result of lack of conditioning than of simple aging.Our bodies were meant to move, but statistics show that fewer than 10 percent of Americans participate in regular exercise—and that the most sedentary people are those over age 50. Many job classifications within the school district—special education teachers and aides, custodial services, warehousing, child nutrition services and so forth—are physically demanding. These jobs require many hours of bending, lifting, twisting, pushing and pulling. As those workers age, will their bodies be able to keep up with the requirements of the job? If not, lost time, workers compensation and many indirect costs will increase dramatically.

Help your employees be healthy
We’ve all heard we need to exercise, and most of us know how, where, when and why we should. When it comes to actually doing exercises, though, something more important always comes up.
Here are some ways that education employers can promote their employees’ health while holding down health care costs:

Investigate a group plan at a gym: Are there local fitness clubs or gyms nearby? Inquire about a group rate for school district employees. Be sure to pass some of the cost onto the employees. Research shows that if employees do not pay a portion of the cost for membership, they may not value it. Partner with employees in their quest for optimal health.

Use your adult education: Consider allowing employees to sign up for one free class per semester in health, wellness, fitness or related activities.

Maximize employee health incentive programs: School districts have many programs available to them. Find out if your health care provider offers wellness programs, newsletters or paycheck stuffers. Does your district’s insurance or health care provider offer health fairs or brown-bag “lunch and learn” sessions? Is it possible to partner with a local Weight Watchers group to come to your facility for weekly sessions?

Maximize technology: There are many great electronic publications on health and wellness that can easily be sent to employees with just the push of a few buttons—the technology is in place today. Developing a culture of health and wellness takes time and works best if encouragement comes from the “top down.”

The point of this article is not to create a fear of hiring anyone over the age of 50, but rather to find ways of modifying the workplace to keep this knowledgeable population working safely. Employees over 50 are extremely valuable to the workforce. They tend to be more loyal and punctual and have more experience, less absenteeism and job turnover. They harbor a stronger commitment to quality and a willingness to be mentors to new hires, and they tend to work more safely, using better judgment on the job.

As they say, you can’t stop time and you can’t stop the aging process (although plastic surgeons and anti-wrinkle cream manufacturers are making a bundle of money trying). School district employees are our most valuable asset, but they may become more expensive as the workforce chooses to work longer. Prudent districts need to take the time to look at the physical demands of their jobs and other issues that are affected by aging. A healthier older population, and one that sees work as beneficial, may keep people on the job longer and with fewer injuries. Help your district employees stay healthy and strong until they retire, whenever that may be—and, of course, the most important thing is to lead by example and keep yourself healthy! Health benefits really can pay dividends for employers with an aging workforce.