They say you can't teach old dogs new tricks, but in organizationswhere older people work alongside younger staff, both age groups saythat they have a lot to learn from each other.
Most younger people recognize that older work colleagues bringexperience, reliability and understanding to the job.
And four out of 10 older employees believe their youngercolleagues can teach them new skills, while nearly two-thirds areimpressed by their younger workmates' ability to learn quickly and beflexible, according to a study by U.K.-based Jobcentre Plus.
The findings, which come a year after age discriminationlegislation was introduced, suggest that employing a wide spread ofages pays off for bosses and employees.
Lesley Strathie, chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, says:"Working in a mixed-age workforce is important for older and youngerworkers, with everyone recognizing the benefits."
Overall, despite differences in age, varying attitudes and thecontribution of different skills to the workplace, 95 percent of olderworkers enjoy working with younger colleagues.
Glenys Hayers is a team manager responsible for organizingcorporate events at BT Business.
At 61, she is 30 years older than the youngest member of theteam. Glenys believes the mix of ages creates a good balance.
