Senior Citizen Involvement
Our Senior Citizen population includes some of our Country’s best resources. When these people retire and leave the workforce, we lose so much intellectual property, experience and know how. And during a time when there is so much uncertainty in our current economic condition, why aren’t we relying more on this experienced talent?
Cost Incentives for Employing Seniors
For seniors who desire to stay connected to the workforce, why do employers need to pay social security taxes for seniors in the workforce. There is no additional benefit paid to Senior Citizens once they begin to collect retirement income. So why should their income be reduced by social security taxes. Without paying these additional taxes, seniors could provide valuable services to the workforce at reduced pay rates.
Senior Volunteer Corps
Change S.C.O.R.E. from the current extortion-based employment agency program to a resource of seniors providing valuable services to businesses. And, don’t limit it to assisting management, have seniors help at all levels. Their experience is invaluable, and keeping active is key for continued mental and physical health.
Senior PayRate/Incentives
In lieu of high salaries, seniors helping the workforce could receive travel incentives. For example, seniors could work for a few months, then take time off to travel. Perhaps compensation packages could be based more on travel points than traditional monetary compensation. In other words, how can we increase senior involvement in our workplace during a time when we sure need the help, and at the same time find ways to properly compensate by finding creative incentives.
I have had the fortune to have hired two seniors. Pete and Al. Al was an accomplished machinist and retired from AT&T after working with AT&T for over 30 years. His experience was invaluable. Al came to work for about 20 hours per week. Not only did he share and help train our staff on how to be machinists, he also tackled some of our most difficult to machine parts. Pete worked for us for several years after a long career at Sandia Labs. He then retired and began a lifelong dream of sailing ‘around the world.’ Then one day, by what seems like the grace of G-d, Pete came back to work. However this time he didn’t want to be paid, he did want to share with us his extensive experience as a designer and technician. His contributions were invaluable in my company’s reorganization and focus on the future. Together we designed and built a new product line which remains a success today.
Both Pete and Al were craftsmen in the truest sense of the meaning of workmanship and provided such an invaluable service. They were doers, not just people who thought about doing. They made a difference. Imagine how strong America can become again if American companies can rely on people like Pete and Al. G-d bless senior involvement and G-d bless America!
