At least that’s what a branch of Starbucks in Mexico has decided. In conjunction with the National Institute for the Elderly, the Mexican Starbucks branch is employing seven 55-66 year-old adults to work at one of its local branches. The idea behind the venture is to: “spearhead a program of labor inclusion that gives opportunity for employment to senior citizens.”
It’s not going to be too much for them either since shifts are only 6 ½ hours long at the most, with two days off each week. And as well as a salary, they will be given insurance for any major medical expenses.
Mexico seems a good place to start such a pilot program as it were since there are approximately 12 million senior citizens there – 10 percent of the national population – and by the end of this year, Starbucks is planning on employing up to 120 senior citizens.
Apart from the fact that many global economies need senior citizens to not stop work as they age, people have found working with the elderly to be extremely rewarding. It widens the demographic in the workplace; brings in added stimuli to other workers; helps give people a different perspective and in general takes people out of their little bubble. Starbucks in Mexico has made a great first step in this direction; let’s hope other companies and countries follow suit.