IntroductionWhere will they come from? It's a question facing organizations and businesses across the United States as they consider where the next wave of workers will emerge. Organizational recruitment and retention strategies have been challenged to find replacements for a generation of employees on the brink of retirement. This generation, the baby boomers, numbers between 76 and 78 million people (Stendardi, 2005), a staggering number when compared to 2009 Department of Labor figures reporting a civilian workforce of 140 million workers. The impending retirement of baby boomers, sometimes referred to as a “demographic tidal wave,” will challenge organizations and human resources departments to develop programs and policies to address the labor shortage. One strategy that has gained increasing attention is the idea of ​​phased retirement. Organizations have turned to the concept of phased retirement to delay the loss of essential employees, transition critical skills and knowledge, reduce recruitment and retention costs, and help close the workforce gap . Normally, phased retirement is a one-time, informal program that has different definitions and meanings. Let's look at the essence of the strategy and how it can be implemented at Princeton University. The essence of phased retirement Phased retirement, as a legal concept, is not defined. This is not because it is a brand new phenomenon that affects every human resources department in the country. In fact, the idea of ​​phased retirement has been around since at least the 1950s. Originally called rehiring, contracting out, or consulting, phased retirement is a strategy that has been around for decades, but with a different focus. ...... middle of document ......RETIREMENT.html Purcell, PJ (2003). Older workers: recent employment and retirement trends. Journal of Deferred Compensation, 8(3), 30. Retrieved May 16, 2010 from ABI/INFORM Global. Rappaport, A. (2009). Phased Retirement – ​​An important part of retirement development. Benefits Quarterly, 25(2), 38. Retrieved May 15, 2010 from ABI/INFORM Global. Sheaks, C. (2007). The State of Phased Retirement: Facts, Figures and Policies. Generations, 31(1), 57-62. Retrieved June 11, 2010 from http://www.asaging.org/publications/dbase/GEN/Gen.31_1.Sheaks.pdf Stendardi, EJ (2005). Using phased retirement to make a baby boomer's retirement work. Humanomics, 21(1/2), 48. Retrieved May 16, 2010 from ABI/INFORM Global.UCF Human Resources. (April 27, 2010). Retrieved May 23, 2010 from http://www.hr.ucf.edu/web/benefits/retirement.shtml#retire1c2