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Sam Farber, the founder of OXO, invented the company’s signature Good Grip handles after seeing his wife struggle with ordinary kitchen tools due to arthritis. He designed the Good Grip handle in 1990 at the age of 66.

Today, OXO’s products are known for their comfortable grip—all because they were designed to be easy to hold and control for all sizes and hand strengths.

Designing to meet the needs of one age or life stage group can lead to innovations that are universally beneficial.

In 2008, Goldman Sachs was the first financial services firm to launch a returnship program, originally designed for women reentering the workforce after a maternity leave.

The program, similar to an internship, offers a period of guided exploration during which workers sharpen skills and ease into the work environment that likely changed while they were away. Ultimately, the concept resonated with all ages and genders wishing to retrain and reenter the workforce after a hiatus. Today, Morgan Stanley, MetLife, and Fidelity have established similar programs.

The multigenerational workers of the future will experience periods of time out of the workforce. Programs designed to facilitate reentry will benefit parents, caregivers, sick employees, and all who choose to take a leave of absence.

PNC Financial incorporates a business component to each of its Employee Business Resource Groups (EBRGs). The newest group at PNC is iGen and brings together an inter-generational group of employees.

Each EBRG brings together employees who share a common dimension of diversity. They work with senior leaders to identify and implement business opportunities for their respective markets. The insights from EBRGs and a multicultural approach to marketing help PNC reach a truly diverse customer base.

In addition to fostering an inclusive culture, employee affinity groups can contribute to business performance by providing a diverse perspective.

Mitre’s cross-generational networking circles involved monthly lunch meetings of 8–10 employees. In these meetings, employees discussed topics of cross-generational interest. The branding of the program around the concept of networking ensured that members knew they were on equal footing, regardless of generation.

Financial services call centers experience high call volume during peak hours. In worst case scenarios, this often means that employees are subject to volatile or uncertain schedules during these times. Fidelity found a creative way to address this problem, hiring part-time staff to work 4-hour shifts. Most of these new hires wanted to work part-time, because of other commitments, such as caregiving. This allowed the call centers to cover peak hours adequately, without interfering with the stability of full-time employees’ schedules. While both younger and older applicants were hired, Fidelity paid particular attention to sourcing older workers, caregivers, or those looking for supplemental income.

Since 2013, PepsiCo has moved from a traditional model of tuition reimbursement to a tuition assistance program, with help from EdAssist (a Bright Horizons work solution). Key differentiators of the program are harmonizing the program across divisions, increasing coverage of tuition, and—perhaps most important—providing well-developed program elements that give employees more navigational help than before. Employees in this program not only have the financial benefit (tuition reimbursement) but also help from advisors to determine the kind of degree and type of educational institution that make the most sense for their goals.

One of Australia’s largest banks, WestPac Group, established its “All in Flex” approach to scheduling so its 40,000 employees can choose how to balance their work responsibilities with their life priorities.

Included among WestPac’s flexible working options is unpaid leave to give new grandparents up to 52 weeks to be a grandchild’s primary caregiver.

Expanding existing benefits like parental leave to include a broader range of caregivers can help create a more age-inclusive organization.

The Australian government estimated that the economy loses over AUD 10 billion (USD 7.2 billion) per year due to age discrimination-driven unemployment.

In order to gauge the depth of the ageism challenge, the government conducted a National Prevalence Survey of Age Discrimination in the Workplace and is using the results as a benchmark to measure the effectiveness of future anti-ageism programs.

A first step in eliminating age discrimination and unlocking the productivity of experienced workers is to understand the prevalence and impact it has today.

Home Instead Senior Care ran an age-positive recruitment campaign in the UK.

The focus on experienced recruits was driven by the improved retention rates observed amongst older employees and their greater desire to be involved in meaningful, socially-impactful work. The company’s advertising imagery challenged stereotypes around age, care work, and care workers. As a result, the company has benefited from greater quality and longevity of hires and greater client satisfaction.

Employers who dispel stereotypes about the type and age of workers in their organization will differentiate themselves from the competition in the eapproved of skilled jobseekers.

The Chilean government’s National Service of Training and Employment (SENCE) once excluded people over 65 years old in the majority of its programs.

After recognizing this gap, they partnered with the Chilean National Service for Older Persons (SENAMA) to create programs that enhance the skills and employability of experienced adults, ensure equal opportunity through labor intermediation, and facilitate experienced adults’ access to work opportunities.

Governments can help to significantly expand the workforce by investing in the older population—Chile’s training partnership has grown to each nearly 44,000 older adults through its programs.

In 2013, the Dutch government dedicated €67 million towards a program to help experienced jobseekers ages 55 and older find job positions. The program, called “Action Plan 55+ Works”, includes networking events, inspiration days, training, and placement voucher bonuses. Each voucher offers experienced jobseekers up to €750 worth of training if they have valid job prospects.

Governments can use a combined approach that provides training opportunities and placement programs to assist experienced jobseekers in finding employment..

The Singaporean government recognized the need for upskilling the workforce and lifelong learning in an era of constant technological advancement and disruption.

In response, they launched SkillsFuture, a national lifelong learning initiative. The government program offers subsidies for individual learning activities through university courses. Since 2015, one of these subsidized learning programs has benefited 15,000 experienced adults.

Continued investment in lifelong learning ensures that the workforce is competitive and prepared with the latest technology and skills.

BMW Germany has led the charge among manufacturers to keep their skilled workers as long as possible. The company adapted a production plant to meet the needs of workers with various physical ailments or restrictions.

Modifications included ergonomic seating, enhanced lighting for workers with visual impairments, and wooden floors to ease knee strain for standing employees.

Small moves to include diverse ages and abilities make a big impact—BMW saw a 7% increase in productivity and below-average absenteeism.

Mauritius, an African island nation, is projected to become an aged society within the next five years, when 14% of its population will be above age 65. Today, the government is proactively addressing aging as an issue that will impact the competitiveness of its economy and society.

In 2018, the Mauritian government launched a national survey to assess the current reality of the aging workforce and to develop a strategic plan for the future. Though the survey and research have yet to be finished, the results will be a starting point for employers, employees, trade unions, and government to adapt to the new workforce.

Governments can conduct national assessments that serve as the beginning of a multi-stakeholder approach to adapting to the aging workforce.