Millions of Americans who have passed the “traditional” retirement age now choose to continue working at least part time. Whether for financial reasons, to stay fit and active, or simply because they enjoy working, mature workers are playing an increasingly important role in businesses across the country.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has named the 55-and-older population as the fastest-growing segment of the workforce, projecting that it will represent approximately 24.8 percent of the civilian workforce by 2024.United States Bureau of Labor Statistics http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ecopro.pdf CVS Health is already poised to meet or exceed that prediction: 24 percent of our current workforce is over the age of 50, and we’re actively recruiting members of this population for positions across our company.
“Mature workers play an integral role in the culture at CVS Health by providing increased experience, dependability and a desire to learn new skills. Some have been with the company for decades, while others joined our team more recently as a second or third career.” says David Casey, Vice President of Workforce Strategies and Chief Diversity Officer for CVS Health.
“We know that 90 percent of Americans aged 65 and older are using at least one prescription drug a month, and 40 percent use at least fiveThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus15.pdf#079 ,” adds Casey. “So as we see the baby boomer generation age, having colleagues across the company who can personally relate to these customers and patients is a differentiator for us.”
To ensure the best experience for mature workers, CVS Health developed Talent Is Ageless, designed to recruit and retain colleagues aged 50 or older. The program cultivates public and private partnerships at the local, state and national level with the goal of recruiting more mature workers into all areas of the business. This includes national partnerships with the American Society on Aging, Experience Works, AARP, National Council on Aging and the Senior Community Service Employment program.
The program also focuses on helping mature workers remain in the workplace with simple modifications that include the Alternate Work Arrangements program. Through this program, colleagues can take advantage of telecommuting, flextime, job sharing and compressed work weeks. And of course, all CVS Health employees are offered the opportunity for reasonable accommodations, if needed.
“By looking for new ways to integrate the wants and needs of mature workers into our culture, we can ensure that everyone has a place within our company,” says Casey.
Those interested in learning more about employment with CVS Health can visit our Careers page for details on open positions and the application process.