November 15, 2005
Articles
CRS Study Chronicles Post Retirement Income Trends
"A new Congressional Research Service (CRS) study of post retirement income trends reported that 35% of Americans age 65 and older received income from a private or public pension last year. Among people age 65 and older who reported income from a government pension, the median annual amount was $15,600 while the median amount received in 2004 was just $6,720 for recipients of private pensions. The report said that 49% of wage and salary workers between the ages of 21 and 64 participated in employer-sponsored retirement plans last year.”
Growing Wiser with Time
"Hank Mann of Austin, Texas, hasn't thought about retirement. The 63-year-old engineer is too busy diving into murky waters to inspect dams for Stanley Consultants. ‘I'm having too much fun,’ he said. ‘As long as I've got the energy, I'm sticking with this.’ His bosses are glad he feels that way. Iowa-based Stanley Consultants Inc., which designs buildings, highways and power plants around the world, tries to hold on to older employees as long as it can - a third of its workforce is over 50.”
Employers Miss the Message
"What do employees want? Many bosses don't have a clue, a new study indicates. Nearly 70 percent of workers say compensation is very important, while employers overwhelmingly say management climate and supervisory relationship is key, according to polls by Harris Interactive for staffing and recruiting firm Spherion Corp. Spherion concluded that fewer than one in five employers is well positioned to attract and retain top employees, despite the fact that companies will face talent shortages as millions of Baby Boomers reach retirement age.”
Weekends on the Job Often a Fit for Female Workers
"Weekend warriors. That's how many of us think of those who work on Saturdays and Sundays--the days when most of us have time off to catch up with personal responsibilities, spend time with our families and even have some fun. For weekend workers worldwide, T.G.I.F. simply doesn't apply. In fact, Friday often is only the beginning of three more days of work. But working weekends isn't always a hardship: Both part-time and full-time workers often find those two days fit in with their schedules and their lifestyles. And there's a strong possibility that more people, particularly women, would work weekends if only they could find child care.”
Studies
The Quiet Success: Telecommuting's Impact on Transportation and Beyond
"The decision to forego the daily commute and work from home might not seem particularly revolutionary. Yet telecommuting has a positive impact on a surprisingly wide range of issues. Telecommuting may be the most cost-effective way to reduce rush-hour traffic and it can even improve how a weary nation copes with disasters, from hurricanes to terrorist attacks. It helps improve air quality, highway safety, and even health care as new technology allows top-notch physicians to be (virtually) anywhere. Telecommuting expands opportunities for the handicapped, conserves energy, and—when used as a substitute for offshore outsourcing—it can help allay globalization fears. It can even make companies more profitable, which is good news for our nation’s managers, many of whom have long been suspicious of telecommuting.” See the following link for access to the full report.