We have talked in previous blog entries about the aging workforce identified as the Baby Boomer generation (people born between 1946 and 1964), but there is one aspect of this situation that has not been broadly discussed until lately.  In today’s multi-generational workplace, it’s not unusual for an older worker to have a younger boss.

One-fifth of employed adults are older than their bosses, according to a survey last year by Randstad USA, an Atlanta-based staffing company.  And that number is likely to increase as more older workers say they plan to stay in the work force even after they retire.

There can be some rough spots ahead. The Randstad survey found that three-quarters of older workers (age 55 and older) said they relate well to younger workers, but only 56 percent of all employees said they relate well to older workers, and 77 percent said younger workers do not seek advice from employees older than 50.

To the contrary… others report in the new multigenerational workplace, what could have been a name-calling confrontation between an older worker and a younger boss is more often a partnership that capitalizes on the bosses' and employees' different experiences and strengths. 

I like to think that is the way we operate here in County government (seeing as how I am the older employee).  It may be that we don’t have the same corporate employer imperative to advance as fast as you can at any organizational or relationship cost.

Sometimes I think it is not a matter of relationships that overwhelms us older workers, but rather technology.  This is a light hearted story that speaks to this point…  

An older worker with a piece of paper in hand comes into the central office area where a young employee is sitting next to a shredding machine.

"Do you know how to operate this thing?" the older worker asks. "I have an important paper here and I want to make sure this is done right."

"Sure," the younger employee answers. "Just put the paper in here and press this button."

The older worker does so, saying, "Great. And where do the copies come out?"