Younger Boss Old Employee Problem

Being a young boss dealing with employees who are older then you is not an easy task and imposes many problems in today’s workplace. In the article “The young-boss-older-employee dilemma”, Weiss tells the story of Jim Schneider who recounts his experience with going from boss of his own work to an old employee managed by a younger supervisor. Back when he was the Boss he “viewed old workers as dead weight”; he thought they are no longer productive or ambitious. Now that he is on the other side, he misses his freedom in taking decision. His young Boss is actually satisfied with his work because he can count on his experience and he doesn’t have to guide him on every step. His young Boss affirmed “It’s a great thing to have an employee who has such a high level of expectations. It raises the bar for everyone."However that is not always the case; younger employees sometimes disrespect their older employees or they complain bitterly that they are not respected by older workers, that their opinions are not valued, and that their orders not followed. Older workers can be set in their ways, resistant to change, and obnoxiously know-it-all. In The article “Younger boss, older worker” Crow, 26 years old supervisor affirms that he prefers online communication between employees such as sending emails and notes. However, Petersen a 36 years old employee, believe more in direct communication between him and his younger supervisor. Being a Younger boss can be intimidating and hard to handle; Therefore Weiss in her article offers many tips for young bosses on how to handle the situation. Her advices to keep an open mind communicate , be patient, and recognize the differences in values and ethics (Ritzler, 2007).

Point of view of the old employee
An old employee can feel very demoralized and useless if he had to accept instructions and direction from someone who may be half his age. In fact “One-fifth of employed adults are older than their bosses”, according to a survey by