Posted on Nov 14, 2007

After two years as a retired auto executive, my father-in-law shocked us all and went back to work. Most of us dream of the day when the chaos calms, and we can do things at our own pace. He was spending more time with the grandkids and playing golf. Now, my 69-year-old father-in-law, Allan Goodman, says he feels sharp again. ``I wake up in the morning and have somewhere to go.'' In the past few weeks, at almost every business event I have attended, someone was talking about how they came out of retirement. I noticed even Max Mayfield, the former director of the National Hurricane Center has emerged from retirement as a hurricane expert for WPLG-TV. The search for balance, it seems, works both ways. Many older workers discover rejoining the workforce marks a turning point toward a better life balance. During the coming decades, the number of workers age 55 and over will increase, to almost 20 percent of workers. And these older workers, regardless of why they're working, will have strong ideas about their balance needs. They want jobs that let them set their own hours, work as long as they want and take off when they want or need to take care of family members, according to AARP. My father-in-law used to work grueling hours. He says he agreed to go back into the auto business because his employer gives him the schedule he wants and lets him take time off to travel. Employment experts say catering to older workers' needs will become crucial as more baby boomers reach their 60s. E. Scott Wingerter, chief operating officer of RetireeWorkforce.com, a job board for mature workers, says employers increasingly offer to be flexible because they view this group as reliable, experienced and having good a work ethic. Adds Wingerter: ``The floodgates are opening for retirees.'' Some retirees who are healthy and energetic are increasingly viewing retirement as a time for new beginnings. Two former American Express executives discovered their new start meant buying a franchise. Rick DiLapi, 54, had been retired three years and Larry Styron, 57, for 1 ½ years when Styron's son suggested they look into a franchise with Mr. Food no-fuss Meals, a meal assembly concept. ''I loved the idea that this was something we didn't know much about, a whole new challenge,'' Styron said. The two opened a location in the busy Davie Tower Shops last month and plan to take turns working nights and days. They approach work with this mantra: ''Have fun.'' DiLapi says, ``We're meeting new people and learning as we go.'' For some, it's about the money. Kim Pederson, a city finance worker, went through his career thinking retirement couldn't come fast enough. As he approached 55, he crossed off boxes on his desk calendar as the big day neared. But after only a few months, Pederson now finds himself working just as hard for his own business selling personalized pacifiers, MyPacifer.com. Pederson says the prospect of hitting it big in his own business, working at home and setting his own hours drew him out of retirement. ``You might call it greed. I call it the pursuit of the American dream.'' Just like my father-in-law, people like Penny Shaffer often carefully map their retirement plans, only to be courted for their skills. Shaffer, 48, resigned from AT&T after 26 years when she was facing her 10th relocation. She says she was enjoying her new lifestyle, volunteering in Miami, spending time with her ill mother and investing her savings. But Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida dangled a leadership opportunity to ''make a difference in the lives of Floridians.'' Now, Shaffer, market president for South Florida, says she will work as long as she feels she is on target with that goal. This time around, she says, she is the conscience of her staff, encouraging them to be careful not to sacrifice their personal lives for work. ``I know the difference between the corporate life I had and a balanced one.'' Send your comments and ideas to Cindy Krischer Goodman at cgoodman @MiamiHerald.com.