Experienced workers — those who are age 40 or older — can be a critical component of a company's overall team, passing along the skills and knowledge they've acquired over the years to the next generation of employees. But retaining these older workers in a time when they're needed most, may prove to be difficult for a couple of reasons. Firstly, a large number of older workers may have unaddressed health issues which could result in departure before skills can be passed on. Second, many feel underappreciated on the job. Both cases create serious problems for employers who are already dealing with recruiting and retention challenges.