The aging global population has serious implications on workforce planning, hence HR systems have to be redesigned. Organizations are waking up to this new reality as they are faced with issues such as talent crunch and unavailability of qualified persons to fill positions vacated by those who are retiring. Some organizations have taken proactive steps to counter this situation, but the majority are yet to open their eyes. This article provides a perspective on the work ethics shared by mature age workers.

The global population is aging. Demographic studies indicate that the proportion of mature age workers in the global labor force will increase dramatically in comparison to younger workers. According to American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) (2004), "every month, approximately one million persons reach 60 years of their age. Forecasts show that by the year 2050, there will be two billion older people in the world, compared to 600 million today. For the first time in human history, older people will outnumber children." Certain countries such as the US, England, Germany, Italy, Japan, and South Korea are affected by this demographic shift more than others. The aging of the global population is an issue because there won't be a sufficient proportion of younger employees ready to replace the positions vacated by mature age workers.

The aging of the global population has serious implications not only in terms of their management and retention at the organizational level, but also in terms of labor market shortages, workforce participation, social security costs, global savings, etc. (Farrell et al., 2005.) As a result, governments and organizations have to reframe their approach to governing and managing labor, a vital resource for economic prosperity. Countries such as the US, Germany, Australia, France, the UK, Denmark, Austria, Sweden, and Portugal are better prepared in terms of policy framing and implementation (Arrowsmith & Hall, 2001). However, the main challenge remains the management's attitude towards mature age workers. They have to overcome the misperceptions they hold about mature age workers and take concrete steps to value and accommodate them in the workplace. This reality calls for a greater need for employers, public agencies, international labor institutions, and trade unions to collaborate and develop well-considered solutions to overcome the impending labor deficit.

HRM Review Magazine, Mature Age Workers, Workforce Planning, Work Ethics, Global Population, Labor Market, Human Resource Management Systems, Organizational Goals, Entrepreneurial Environment, Social Networking, Financial Compensations.