After the global pandemic, many older employees began to leave the workforce and retire due to the uncertain job market and healthcare environment. Now that inflation is at decade high levels and the cost-of-living has risen, retirees are now considering to “unretire” and return to the workforce.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), the number of people ages 65 and older working or seeking employment has increased by 144 percent in the past 20 years. The DOL predicts labor participation among older workers to grow over the next 10 years.

When older workers retire, companies potentially lose a wide array of employer attributes. Knowledge management becomes a challenge since employee skill sets transition out of the workforce and company culture. Additionally, generational work habit differences create a potential gap in productivity and employee morale.

Companies have options when it comes to rehiring a retiree. They can either bring them back internally or consider a third party payroll solution. Utilizing an employment agency that offers third party payroll solutions in multiple states provides a company with the flexibility to bring back retirees without the burden of adding to its own W-2 payroll. Instead, the employment agency on boards and re-hires the retiree while providing the legal employer of record (W-2) relationship. At the same time, the retiree can reap the benefits of drawing retirement or pension benefits because the retiree does not, in fact, work for the former company (that he or she retired from) any more.

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) conducted an interesting interview with Laurel McDowell, a leader in Mature Worker Programs, about companies bringing back retirees.