Health and safety for WWII vets through Gen Y
Health and safety for WWII vets through Gen Y
Five generations could be represented
Chances are, no matter what size your workforce, there are as many as five generations represented. The age difference between your youngest and oldest employees could be nearly 60 years, which presents challenges and opportunities for the occupational health professional.
"What we're seeing is that retirement is coming at a later and later age," points out Arlene Guzik, MSN, ARNP-BC, COHN-S, director of clinical services at Lakeside Occupational Medical Centers in Largo, FL. "It's the first time we've formally had all four generations in the workplace at the same time."
The issues that present are varied, and include differences in work ethics, interest in wellness, importance of health benefits, need for and mode of training, and attitudes toward authority. Just as the health concerns of a 22-year-old and a 67-year-old differ, so do the approaches to safety training and wellness in each group.
"We have to make sure our [wellness and safety training] messages are specific to addressing the needs of different generations," says Guzik.
Five generations under one roof
Each generation is fairly clearly defined as a group, but Guzik and others warn against overgeneralize groups by their birth date. Even so, a generation's age and shared experiences both shape their views on work and health, and guide occ-health directors in mapping health and safety plans.
Most generational experts agree on four distinct generations in today's workforce, though many add a fifth. Besides the time of their births, the generations are shaped by shared philosophies and the events of their times.
• Matures, traditionalists, pre-boomers. Members of this group were born before 1945, and grew up during the Depression and World War II. "They have been in the workforce a long time, and maybe have retired once and returned to work, either in different jobs or as consultants," Guzik says.
Matures are considered hard workers who are conservative, respectful of authority, loyal, disciplined, and mindful of adhering to rules.
• Baby boomers. The boomer generation was born between 1946 and 1964, and carry on many of their parents' characteristics. "Boomers are respectful of titles, group-oriented, don't like change, and live to work," says Guzik. Boomers' parents instilled in them a strong work ethic and a desire to give their children a better life. This working group includes record numbers of women, was the first TV generation, and is more liberal than the previous generation.
• Generation X. Born between 1965 and the late 1970s, generation Xers grew up with two working parents and experienced the upheaval of the Vietnam era, economic downturn of the 1970s, and the first Gulf War. They grew up in the "instant" years that saw the advent of the microwave oven, remote controls, and automated teller machines.
They are less likely to follow rules and more likely to challenge authority. Unlike their parents and grandparents, they tend to change jobs frequently rather than plan a career with one employer. That last characteristic impacts employers and occupational health managers because it means more training as the workforce turns over.
"Generation X workers have more loyalty to themselves than to organizations, are more interested in their quality of life, expect instant results. While the boomers lived to work, generation X works to live, to have more money to spend on their social lives," Guzik explains. "There are a lot of very resourceful people, lot of entrepreneurs in this group."
• Cuspers. This group is described by some generational experts as those on the cusp between baby boomers and generation X, born between 1960 and 1968. They share characteristics of the generational groups that precede and follow them, noted for embracing the work ethic of their parents, but seeking a greater work–life balance. They can act as a bridge between the older and younger generations in the workplace.
• Generation Y. The youngest faction in the workforce is generation Y, also known as "millennials," were born between 1980 and the early 1990s. They are technically proficient, multitaskers, and highly educated. They grew up with the Internet, so as a group are more technically proficient than their predecessors, and sometimes described as having short attention spans.
"They are very worldly, very educated, and like to have multiple choices," Guzik says. "They are a generation that if you tell them the expected outcome, they'll figure out how to do it."
Demands for health, wellness differ
The occupational health nurse should evaluate what the needs of his or her workforce are, and tailor wellness that targets the different generations as well as the employee population as a whole.
"Interests in wellness will vary by generation, and you need to look at the health benefits program, because each generation will have different expectations," says Guzik.
Health benefits are going to be most important to the older generations than to generation Y, so options will need to be available that satisfy a variety of needs.
"The majority of the boomers who have or will be having health problems want good benefits, good health care, and a good prescription drug program. They want wellness to focus on specific diseases, and how to address those specific issues from an education and resource standpoint," she continues. "Generation X and generation Y, on the other hand, want resources they will be able to use and tailor to themselves."
The younger working groups are less interested in health benefits and prescription drug programs, and more inclined to want cafeteria plans that they can pick and choose from. "They are more interested in fitness, education, and alternative medicine, and they like to learn on their own and to have internet resources," Guzik adds.
Consider generations in training plans
Business leaders and occupational health nurses facing the question of how to create safety training for 25-year-olds and 65-year-olds have to be creative to meet the different learning needs and motivations for each group.
Safety training is important for both the older and younger generations, but for different reasons.
"As the workforce becomes older, older people are trying to do the jobs they have done for the last 30 years, and they don't realize they sometimes can't do certain tasks the same way, and they need to be mindful of that," says Guzik. Workers may not be aware of the changes in their bodies as they age, and so need to be reminded. Addressing ergonomics and workstation accommodations will allow workers in that age group to continue being productive and healthy on the job.
Young workers, on the other hand, tend to sustain injuries when they're starting out and are unfamiliar with the potential risks in their jobs. The youngest workers — teenagers in the 14- to 17-year-old population — sustain the highest percentage of injuries, likely, experts say, because they are more likely to take risks or make bad decisions based on inexperience.
Younger workers — generations X and Y — are likely to respond best to training that is entertaining — visual and interactive. Older employees are more likely to benefit from traditional classroom instruction and exercises.
If more than one training option is offered, employment law experts say care must be taken not to exclude individuals based on age. Available options must be made available to all employees, in hopes that employees choose the training format that appeals to them most and from which they will therefore benefit most.
[For more information, contact:
Arlene Guzik, MSN, ARNP-BC, COHN-S, director of clinical services, Lakeside Occupational Medical Centers, 1400 E. Bay Drive, Largo, FL 33771.]
| Working with a multigenerational work force
• Remember the commonalities among generations: — Everyone wants to succeed. — Everyone wants to feel valued. — People want to be kept in the know about matters that concern them. — All employees want clear communication about their employer's expectations of them. • Although each employee may be motivated to perform well, the different generational groups may vary in their work style and expectations of the workplace • Employees' reactions to factors such as change, new challenges, organizational politics are sometimes just different, not good or bad. • Often these reactions can be better understood if you consider the generational age group of the employee. — For example a "mature" has greater reverence for authority and may not verbally react to a policy change. However, a generation X or Y worker will ask "why?" • Capitalize on individual and age group interests through: — Special projects — Committee work — Social, team-building efforts — Technology skills — Ability to network or research solutions • Work to develop a true peer environment, where different generational groups not only value what each brings to the table, but help their colleagues by sharing, teaching, and supporting each other. • Reflect on your own values and beliefs that are influenced by the era in which you grew up. Source: Duke University PAS faculty/employee assistance program, Durham, NC. |
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