One in 4 US workers will be 55 or older by 2024, according to the US Department of Labor. As people work beyond traditional retirement ages, companies are in the process of shifting the ways they treat, support, and think about older workers.

The demographic trend is no secret: The populations of the United States and other major industrial countries are getting older, and fast. That means workforces are aging, too, but employers are doing surprisingly little to prepare to meet the challenges or adapt to employees’ needs.