Summary
Manitoba’s and Canada’s workforces are rapidly aging. This is evidenced through demographic and socio-economic changes. With increases in lifespan, people are working past the traditional retirement age of 65 because they need, or choose, to work longer. As the older workforce (defined by this project as 45 years +) grows, it is increasingly important to understand the occupational health and safety challenges of an aging workforce and to develop plans to address them.
Contributing to the need for this project is the gap in available educational resources for older workers and their employers in Manitoba. This includes resources for combating age-based discrimination, or ageism, to create a healthy, inclusive, and diverse workplace culture.
The primary goal of the Aging Manitoba Workforce (AMW) project is to contribute to developing and maintaining a healthy and safe aging workforce, and workplaces that are diverse and age friendly. This goal supports a key priority of WCB’s Strategic Framework to Create a Safe Work Culture by providing employers, workers, human resource professionals and safety and health practitioners with the knowledge and skills to design and implement effective safety and health management systems.
While there are some resources available on the topic of an aging workforce from international and other provincial organizations, there are currently no specific resources available in Manitoba and little research into the issues. This project will provide an overview of the current situation in Manitoba through data analysis and the use of interviews, surveys and focus groups. Secondary research will be conducted into best practices and strategies, already in place, in the international and national communities. Resources will be developed for target groups that will create awareness of the issues as well as guidance for the development of effective workplace programming.
