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COPYRIGHT 2005 The Dallas Morning News
Byline: Bob Moos
Oct. 23--Hank Mann of Austin hasn't thought about retirement.
The 63-year-old engineer is too busy diving into murky waters to inspect locks and 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.
More companies are beginning to think like Stanley Consultants, which tops AARP's list this year of the 50 best employers for workers over 50.
These employers are devising flexible working arrangements, offering benefits such as long-term care insurance and allowing employees to phase into retirement over several years.
"Guys like Hank have a lifetime of engineering know-how," explained Bob Berg, Stanley Consultants' human resource manager. "We don't want that experience walking out the door."
Lorrie Foster, a research director for the Conference Board, says employers' attitudes spring from corporate self-interest as much as altruism.
"Sixty-four million boomers are poised to retire over the next decade," she explained. "Depending on what they do, there may not be enough younger workers with the right skills to replace them."
Some...
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