One myth is that it costs more to retain older workers than it does to recruit younger workers. Many older workers may receive higher salaries, but when hidden replacement costs are factored in for the higher turnover of younger workers during their early years of employment, the actual cost savings is in keeping with experienced employees. A second myth is that employers believe that the costs for health and other benefits cost more for older workers. In fact, older workers have fewer acute illnesses, while younger workers have more dependents. So the reality is that overall benefits may work out to be the same for older as for younger workers. In addition, there is concern over the progressive national shortage of health care workers. More Baby Boomers are living longer, but they are suffering from chronic illnesses and disabilities. There are fewer younger workers entering the U.S. workforce. As a result, the U.S. would actually be better off if the work experience of Baby Boomers could be captured and passed on to their successors. What should older workers do? Here's a thought: they should take responsibility for their own development by updating their skills so that they remain competitive in today's workforce. Older adult wisdom is still highly prized. Similarly, they should make themselves aware of the opportunities that exist if they continue to learn. The morale to the story is that older workers should not be content to take early buyouts or feel that they are being forced up against the wall to retire. With today's rising health care costs, the state of the economy, and the fact that baby boomers are living longer and are a more educated generation, they should join hands with employers and voice their needs. While not all older workers may wish to work longer, many who do would be wise to take charge of their careers. What should employers do in the future? One thing is to seek information about steps they can take for preparing for the future work force. They should revise human resources policies to provide flexible work schedules and job sharing opportunities for older workers. They should design training programs with the older adult in mind. They should educate managers and staff members about how to remain sensitive to age diversity issues in an effort to overcome the many wrongheaded myths. They should consider how to provide better ergonomic workplace design to accommodate age-related changes. And they should also install mentoring and coaching programs that provide opportunities to pass on the wisdom of more experienced workers to the next generations. Employers, are you ready to meet these challenges? William J. Rothwell, professor of workforce education and development at Penn State University, and Diane Spokus, a faculty member in health policy and administration at Penn State, are co-authors, with Harvey Sterns and Joel Reaser, of 'Working longer: New strategies for managing, training and retaining older workers' (Amacom, 2008).