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State of the Science Conference
September 15-16, 2005
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Managing the Health and Productivity Connection:
The Politics of Incapacity & Aging
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Slides 15-26
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- Managing the Health and Productivity Connection: The Politics of Incapacity & Aging
- Corporate Work - Health Competing Interests
- Three Future Health & Productivity Issues
- The Boomer Bubble
- The Boomer Bubble
- The Boomer Bubble
- The Boomer Bubble
- 50+ Work Capacities
- Corporate 50+ Issues
- Work-related lost time claims by age group
- Duration of work-related claims
- Distribution of short (STD) and long (LTD) term disability by age
- Risk dynamics-STD by major impairment category
- Risk dynamics-most frequent long term impairments
Managing the Health and Productivity Connection:
The Politics of Incapacity & Aging
9.15.05
Atlanta, Georgia
Kenneth Mitchell, Ph.D.
Chattanooga, TN
Corporate Work - Health Competing Interests
- Rising health care costs
- Lost productivity costs
- Work population health trends - Chronic Disease
- Aging workforce - Increased longevity
- Health care consumerism
- Changing business environment
- Technology/Internet access
- Accessible work force
Source: Mayo Clinic, 2005
Three Future Health & Productivity Issues
- The Aging Work Force - To Age or Not to Age?
- The real question is " Will healthy aging make a difference?"
- Ambiguous Impairments & Performance Management
- What is the connection between an employee's health and doing a good job?
- When Work - Life Predicaments Turn into "Disabilities"
- Impairment is objective
- Disability is subjective
- What turns an impairment into a disability?
The Boomer Bubble
Graphic: As the boomers age, different issues gain importance.
Around 1965, the boomers were 0-20 and the issues were schools and culture
Around 1985, the boomers were 20-40 and the issues were jobs and housing
Around 2005, the boomers are 40-60 and the issues are politics and health benefits
Around 2025, the boomers will be 60-80 and the issues will be healthcare and social security
The Boomer Bubble
Graph: A bar graph of men and women in various age groups, in 1990, shows a bulge in the population who were 20-44. Other than the population bulge, the number of people in each age group decreases as the people get older.
The Boomer Bubble
Graph: A 2025 version of the same graph shows very little decrease in population between age groups, up to the age 70. The number of people in the age groups 55-74 increases significantly.
The Boomer Bubble
Graph: A 2050 version of the same graph shows a further increase in the populations over 75.
50+ Work Capacities
Work Style
Lower incidence of work related injuries, unscheduled absences - increased severity
Adaptability to change more a function of training/education and personal choice
Job experience mitigates changing physical skills
High speed problem solving/ repetitive tasks different from the younger employee
Work Capacity - Physical
Exposure to high thermal stress reduces performance
Responds poorly to heavy continuous effort with enforced high work rates
Reduced cardio respiratory capacity contributes decreased effort tolerance
Sensory functions and muscular strength diminishes with age @ age 50 +
Work Capacity - Cognitive/ Affective
Age related intellectual and personality development improves work efficiencies
Job satisfaction or lack of offers differential impact on productivity
Changes in career/ life style priorities
Assessment and management of job stressors
Corporate 50+ Issues
Productivity
Retention of the intellectual capital/skills of the 50+ work force especially through mergers/acquisitions and various organizational changes
Increased demand for flexible work site, work tasks and work schedules
Filling the post age wave personnel gap with an emerging 60+ worker pool
Health
Healthcare costs for employees/dependents & retirees
Increased risk factors by age, weight & chronic disease
Impact on family economic stability
Corporate Work - Health Culture
Changes in expectations and definitions of benefit plans, retirement.
e.g. Defined Benefit to Defined Contribution
Living longer, more active creating expectations/need for continued work
Intergenerational transfer of organizational memory
Work-related lost time claims by age group
Bar graph: Incidence of lost time claims per age group
Age 20-34 - about 11 incidence per 1000
Age 35-44 - about 11 incidence per 1000
Age 45-54 - about 10 incidence per 1000
Age 55 and over - about 8 incidence per 1000
Source: 2002/2003 Bureau of Labor Statistics & 2003 Current Population Survey, U.S. Department of Labor
Duration of work-related claims
Graph: A bar graph shows the median days away from work for various age groups:
Age 20-34 - about 6 days
Age 35-44 - about 8 days
Age 45-54 - about 10 days
Age 55 and over - about 12 days
Source: 2002/2003 Bureau of Labor Statistics & 2003 Current Population Survey, U.S. Department of Labor
Distribution of short (STD) and long (LTD) term disability by age
Bar graph:
Age under 30
Short term disability - 20%
Long term disability - 7%
Age 30-39
Short term disability - 30%
Long term disability - 18%
Age 40-49
Short term disability - 25%
Long term disability - 28%
Age 50-59
Short term disability - 19%
Long term disability - 34%
Age 60 and over
Short term disability - 7%
Long term disability - 12%
Source: UnumProvident Disability Database, 2002-2004.
Risk dynamics-STD by major impairment category
Bar graph show distribution of short term disability types for two age groups:
Under 40 years old
Accident - 11%
Sickness - 38%
Maternity - 51%
Under 40 years old
Accident - 16%
Sickness - 82%
Maternity - 2%
Source: UnumProvident Disability Database, 2002-2004.
Risk dynamics-most frequent long term impairments
Bar graph shows the most frequent long term impairments for two age groups:
Circulatory
Under 40 years old - 3%
Over 40 years old - 8%
Cancer
Under 40 years old - 7%
Over 40 years old - 17%
Mental Nervous
Under 40 years old - 10%
Over 40 years old - 7%
Accident
Under 40 years old - 12%
Over 40 years old - 10%
Back
Under 40 years old - 13%
Over 40 years old - 15%
Maternity
Under 40 years old - 26%
Over 40 years old - 0%
Source: UnumProvident Disability Database, 2002-2004.
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