More than ever, workers today remain in or return to the workforce beyond traditional retirement age. Indeed, workers age 65 and older constitute more than 20 percent of the U.S. workforce and represent the fastest growing demographic of American workers. Managing an aging workforce raises a unique set of opportunities and challenges for employers across all industries.
Older workers offer valuable experience and wisdom, but with that value also comes an increased risk of serious workplace injuries due to physiological changes affecting flexibility, strength, vision, hearing, and balance. Although older workers experience fewer total injuries than their junior counterparts, the injuries they do have are more severe and require longer recovery times.
To avoid heightened scrutiny from the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), employers must be aware of the medical realities accompanying aging and carefully address these realities with resolutions that do not run afoul of federal and state anti-discrimination laws, such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and the Americans With Disabilities Act.
Join top OSHA and Employment Law attorneys, Eric J. Conn and Casey M. Cosentino, from Epstein Becker & Green, P.C., for a detailed review of:
This webinar offers a practical, strategic approach targeted to in-house counsel, human resources executives, and safety and health managers. Learn how to implement effective measures that address the safety and health issues raised by the aging workforce, decrease the risk of serious workplace injuries, and comply with anti-discrimination laws and regulations.
Eric J. Conn, Head of the OSHA Practice Group, Epstein Becker & Green, P.C.; Casey M. Cosentino, Labor & Employment Associate, Epstein Becker & Green, P.C.
Eric J. Conn leads the national OSHA Practice Group at Epstein Becker Green, based in the firm's Washington, DC, office, where his practice focuses on all aspects of occupational safety and health law, including representing employers during inspections, investigations and enforcement actions involving OSHA, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB), the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), and other federal, state and local regulatory and law enforcement agencies. Eric has extensive experience responding to workplace explosions, chemical releases, and other industrial, construction and manufacturing workplace accidents, as well as handling the full range of OSHA litigation, including appeals of citations and negotiations of settlement agreements with an eye towards minimizing exposure to “Repeat” OSHA violations and the impact of OSHA enforcement actions on wrongful death and personal injury civil cases. Mr. Conn also conducts safety and health audits, provides OSHA training for employers in all industries, and assists employers and trade associations through the OSHA Rulemaking process.
Casey M. Cosentino represents management in employment litigation matters regarding all aspects of the employer-employee relationship, including race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, and disability discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Ms. Cosentino has extensive experience drafting employee handbooks, and counseling employers on employment policies and contracts, including employment agreements, independent contractors agreements, restrictive covenants, and separation agreements. She advises employers on federal and state wage and hour laws, classification of job positions for purposes of overtime, traditional labor-management relations, and collective bargaining issues. Ms. Cosentino also represents employers in inspections and investigations conducted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and other federal and state regulatory agencies.