Contrary to popular belief, many older workers feel that, if anything, their age is an asset in the workplace, not a liability, according to a recent USA Today article. 

Citing an AP-LifeGoesStrong.com poll, the article states that 61 percent of Baby Boomers feel that age is not an issue at all, while 25 percent said it was an asset. Additionally, 82 percent said they have never experienced age discrimination.

Most said that younger workers seek their advice, and a third of those surveyed feel they garnered more respect from their employers than their younger counterparts.

The article revealed several other statistics that back up what we have been saying on this blog regarding the trend of retiree re-staffing:

• One in four boomers said they will never retire. About the same number said they have no retirement savings.
• One in five have been in their current field for less than 10 years, so they are still learning and picking up new skills.
• Two-thirds said they will work at least part-time after they reach retirement age for financial reasons.
• A large percentage, 29 percent, said they will continue to work just to keep busy.
• According to a Congressional Budget Office report, it appears that Baby Boomers will be retiring later in life than previous generations.
• The same report showed that labor force participation rates have been rising for workers ages 60 to 69.

As we have stated before, contracting seems to be a good fit for these older workers because, although they may need or want to work, they don't necessarily want to work all the time and may want more flexible schedules.  Companies are also jumping on the retiree re-staffing bandwagon because it is a good way to keep or retain experience without committing overhead to a full-time employee.

Debbie Fledderjohann is the President of Top Echelon Contracting, Inc.