Robert Friedman, a Lake Oswego resident chafing under the frustrations of employment retirement, is promoting a program he terms “Boot Camp for Business.”  Purpose of the Friedman proposal is “to provide education to corporation and business owners on the value of incorporating senior workers in their employment mix.”

Friedman sees seniors as “an invaluable natural resource” and feels the barriers now existing to their employment need to be addressed.  He lists prime attributes of this group as: (1) more productive than their younger counterparts, (2) are on time and absent less, (3) are not looking to job hop to develop a career, (4) are not seeking to compete with developing younger employees, (5) provide a pool of experience that younger employees can draw upon to become more productive workers in a shorter period of time.  Other seniors attributes noted include “better judgment, stronger commitment to quality, more reliable attendance and lower turnover.”

Friedman notes that a survey published by the Employee Benefits Research Institute shows that 67% of today’s employees expect to work for pay in retirement…however, the survey states that only 25% of today’s retirees report having worked since they retired, and that only 4% did so full time.  He deplores the lack of work for seniors that relates to their experience and employment achievments, noting that minimum wage, “no brainer”
jobs dominate those usually available to our older set.

Lesser salaries acceptable

Friedman believes that seniors “realize they cannot expect to command high salaries and are willing to accept positions for less and in subordinate roles.”  Yet, he feels that the average employer adheres to “the myth that (seniors) are old dogs and can’t run with the younger pack.”

The Boot Camp proponent cites the fact that “between now and 2010, the age group experiencing the greatest growth will be those between the ages of 55-64,” and that “by 2005, people age 55 and over are projected to be nearly 20% of the working group.”  Thus, Friedman declares “Boot Camp forBusiness” provides the mechanism that will erase the myth about older employees (failings) before their needs become critical and productivity declines.”

Employer examples noted

Friedman identifies several corporations that have benefitted from senior employment programs.  He reports that Travelers Insurance realized a cost savings of over $1 million in one year by operating a retiree job bank to fill part time position needs as opposed to the previous expense of hiring from the outside.  Days Inn uses retirees as reservation agents, and Friedman relates that the lodging chain finds training time is briefer, turnover rate is lower and that a consumer call is more likely to be completed with a reservation.

Most salient example of corporate benefits from senior employment reported is from the B&Q chain of do-it-yourself supply stores.  Friedman reports this company opened a new store staffed only by older workers, resulting in six times less turnover, 40% less absenteeism, improved customer relations and 18 times as much profitablility as similar stores relying largely on entry level workers.

Friedman is appealing to local, state and federal resources to provide grant funding for his Boot Camp.  He projects a modest budget for operating an initial Portland-based camp.  Total funding required is estimated at $150,000 for the first year, to include personnel and expenses in bringing a benefits message to prospective employers and establishing an effective data base.

Senior job proponent Friedman documents “over 40 years of personal experience in corporate and private organizations” including work as an aerospace engineer, with emphasis on sales and marketing positions.

Oregon Magazine readers interested in more information and assisting the Boot Camp cause may contact Robert Friedman at shadowrf@aol.com