Wow, just get rid of anyone over the age of fifty if you want to keep your WC rates down, what a simple solution. Never mind that the fifty+ worker has the most experience and knowledge of any one on the worksite and is very likely the person who knows how to do the job safely and quickly.
The solution of hiring a young person to keep your WC costs low because they have a “strong back” is the wrong mindset, that inexperienced non safety minded individual will soon be a statistic. Why not keep the older work force to train and educate the new workers, and to be there side by side to remind them when they “forget” to do a safe way to do a job.
And finally, loyalty is what is missing from companies today. If more companies actually cared about the employees, the employees would be more dedicated, willing and wanting to work. Replacing loyalty with fear is not a good practice.
The aging workforce is one of a multitude of issues that the construction industries faces in the context of safety, growth and profitable perpetuation. There is no ” all-inclusive ” problem and concurrent panacea for companies which engage in hazardous work. Some losses are endemic to the work. The more engaged and invested leadership/management becomes in the development of a safety culture, with ” skin in the game” (assumption of risk in the form of higher deductibles and SIR’s) the more improved the organization’s loss experience, in my observation and experiential finding.
The infusion of youth must be blended with the sagacity and knowledge, mentorship and counsel of the experienced worker in order to provide a platform for successful perpetuation.
Our firm aggregates, by design ,the ideas , ideals and energy of what we term ” youth” and the experience of the mature( at least chronologically) to create a vitality and sinew of purpose which is the sine qua non of our perpetuation.
Wow, just get rid of anyone over the age of fifty if you want to keep your WC rates down, what a simple solution. Never mind that the fifty+ worker has the most experience and knowledge of any one on the worksite and is very likely the person who knows how to do the job safely and quickly.
The solution of hiring a young person to keep your WC costs low because they have a “strong back” is the wrong mindset, that inexperienced non safety minded individual will soon be a statistic. Why not keep the older work force to train and educate the new workers, and to be there side by side to remind them when they “forget” to do a safe way to do a job.
And finally, loyalty is what is missing from companies today. If more companies actually cared about the employees, the employees would be more dedicated, willing and wanting to work. Replacing loyalty with fear is not a good practice.
The aging workforce is one of a multitude of issues that the construction industries faces in the context of safety, growth and profitable perpetuation. There is no ” all-inclusive ” problem and concurrent panacea for companies which engage in hazardous work. Some losses are endemic to the work. The more engaged and invested leadership/management becomes in the development of a safety culture, with ” skin in the game” (assumption of risk in the form of higher deductibles and SIR’s) the more improved the organization’s loss experience, in my observation and experiential finding.
The infusion of youth must be blended with the sagacity and knowledge, mentorship and counsel of the experienced worker in order to provide a platform for successful perpetuation.
Our firm aggregates, by design ,the ideas , ideals and energy of what we term ” youth” and the experience of the mature( at least chronologically) to create a vitality and sinew of purpose which is the sine qua non of our perpetuation.
good article.