Corporate America is facing a silver tsunami — and some companies are better prepared than others.

Walmart is redesigning jobs to keep older workers on the payroll. Microsoft is offering what it calls “wraparound care” to support healthy aging. Google is coaching its employees to prepare for retirement. Some smaller companies have introduced chief longevity officers to help workers navigate health, wellness, and the transition into retirement.

These are some of the initiatives companies shared with Business Insider, after we contacted more than 75 major employers about their efforts to support aging workers.

Fifteen responded and shared policies that address healthcare and well-being, career longevity, flexible work arrangements, and retention. Many of the companies contacted employ thousands of people working past retirement age. Most didn’t respond or declined to comment.

By 2040, it’s estimated that about 22% of Americans will be 65 and older, compared to about 18% today. If companies wait to address this aging acceleration, they may miss out on talent, hurt productivity, and lack medical benefits needed to keep workers healthy, experts on aging said.

At Walmart, the largest private employer in the US, about 13.3% of the workforce — or over 200,000 employees — is over 60 years old, and more than 300,000 employees have a tenure of more than 10 years.

“We want to be a great place to work during every stage of life,” a spokesperson said. “People come here for a first job or a second career, and we have associates from 16 to 100.”

Thomas Magnuson, 83, has worked as a yard driver at a Walmart facility in Wisconsin since 1999. A few years ago, he transitioned to an asset protection position, where he monitors fire systems and recertifies employees who use certain equipment. Magnuson said he doesn’t have enough savings to retire. He described the work, which pays low six figures, as fulfilling.

Ruth Finkelstein, a professor of public health at Hunter College, said employers should provide mentorship and flexibility to workers of all ages.

“People reach their peak earnings in their 50s and then gradually decrease after that until they abruptly decrease after retirement,” Finkelstein said. “We should have retirement security adequate to meet people’s needs without them having to work for their whole lives, and we should have legislation that’s much stronger than that against employment discrimination.

How Disney, Starbucks, Google, and others support older workers

Some of the biggest names in the retail, entertainment, and food sectors have proposed age-friendly policies and initiatives to support older workers.

CVS Health has developed programs to attract mature workers and develop their skills. Many of Disney‘s employees are in their second or third career, said Tami Garcia, executive vice president of people and culture at Disney Experiences. The company gives out the Walt Disney Legacy Award and holds service anniversary ceremonies.

“For many, having a role at one of our Disney parks is a second or even third career, and we deeply value the experience, wisdom, and mentorship that can bring,” Garcia said. “From celebrating milestone anniversaries — including 50+ years of service — to honoring those who embody Walt Disney’s legacy through our recognition programs, we showcase respect, care, and appreciation for our Cast Members.”

Some companies have prioritized certain accommodations, such as flexible work schedules. A Starbucks spokesperson told Business Insider that the company’s “Back to Starbucks” strategy has invested over $500 million in operational improvements and the workplace experience, which could benefit older workers looking for more flexibility. The spokesperson said that 85% of employees receive their preferred shifts.

Ellen Ernst Kossek, a professor at Purdue University who studies work-life relationships, said companies should consider reducing the workloads of older employees, helping these workers adapt to new technologies, and finding ways to challenge age-related stereotypes.

“There’s a stereotype that older workers are not as current, but just as you would train new workers or encourage people to get a certificate, they could adapt their strategies to look for people with AI skills and encourage people to keep their skills up,” Kossek said.

Some companies told Business Insider that they’ve adopted certain benefits, such as greater access to medical care, which may help older workers stay healthy and avoid early retirement due to medical issues.

This can be beneficial to both companies and their workers. Older workers can increase corporate healthcare costs, since the majority of people aged 65 and older have a chronic disease, said Dr. Susan Mueller, senior director of health equity and well-being at global advisory firm WTW.

Walgreens offers benefits for “balancing work with caregiving responsibilities, preparing for retirement, or seeking proactive health and financial well-being support,” a spokesperson said. UnitedHealth Group provides legal services for estate planning and family law, and supports workers navigating menopause or cancer diagnoses.

A Google spokesperson said the company gives employees access to financial coaching for retirement and personalized assistance for managing caregiving. The company offers benefits such as cancer testing and support, no-cost medical second opinions, and no-cost virtual primary care.

A Microsoft spokesperson emphasized the company’s paid time off for caregiving for loved ones with a serious illness and wraparound care to support healthy aging.

FedEx has launched comprehensive medical benefits and support networks, such as its Choose Well Care Connect advocacy program, which guides members through life-altering diagnoses. FedEx launched a Fast Pass in certain markets to guarantee members a primary care appointment within 10 days or less. The company’s corporate responsibility report notes that FedEx is testing home health capabilities in areas with limited healthcare opportunities.

Companies have more work to do, experts say

Topics like AI and climate change are garnering more attention in corporate America than the aging workforce, according to a Business Insider analysis of earnings calls, 10-Ks, and interviews.

That’s a concern to some experts on aging, who say companies need to be doing more to prepare for shifting demographics.

Mueller said companies should develop programs that control costs for employees needing medical assistance; establish internal guidelines to help employees navigate the healthcare system; add virtual primary care; and hire external companies specializing in common medical conditions.

Madonna Harrington Meyer, a sociology professor at Syracuse University, said that during economically hard times, older workers are often the first to be laid off and the last to be rehired.

Harrington Meyer said companies should focus on accessibility and safety. They should arrange parking spots near office entrances, ensure good lighting and soundproofing for sensory needs, and maintain functional elevators.

Graham Pearce, global defined benefit segment leader at the consulting firm Mercer, said some companies will need to confront an”unconscious bias” against older workers — often seen as less adaptable or more prone to illness. Progress may require legislative action, he said.

Legislative action

The bipartisan Protect Older Job Applicants Act was introduced in September to prohibit age-based applicant sorting for employers, ensure “disparate impact” protections apply to employees and applicants, and require government oversight on age discrimination claims.

Rep. Bobby Scott, a Democrat from Virginia who co-led the bill, told Business Insider that he hopes age discrimination will be considered “as illegal as discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, or sex.” He added that if more people have employment opportunities later in life, it could stimulate the economy and help people age with dignity.

In September, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat from New York, introduced the bipartisan Protecting Older Americans Act, which would end forced arbitration clauses prohibiting victims of age discrimination from suing their employer.

“We know that forced arbitration often discriminates against the plaintiff, and for a lot of older Americans, they don’t have the resources to mount significant litigations against an employer who discriminates against them,” Gillibrand told Business Insider. “We believe that if you have the right of the Constitution to go to a trial and to be judged by your peers, older Americans would do better in these lawsuits.”

In a statement to Business Insider, Sen. Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat from Wisconsin, said that the separate Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act would help level the playing field for older workers and combat age discrimination.

“We need to do more to make sure that every American can plan and save for a secure retirement, but as more and more of our neighbors are forced to work later in life just to make ends meet, we need to make sure everyone — regardless of their age — has protections and dignity in the workplace,” Baldwin said.

• Creator and marketing company Triller said it’s been delisted from the Nasdaq exchange.
• The company was suspended for failing to file quarterly and annual reports on time.
• Triller sought to recruit users from TikTok when it looked like it might be banned in the US.

Triller, a publicly traded creator and marketing company that vied to take on TikTok in the US, was delisted from the Nasdaq on Tuesday after missing multiple reporting deadlines, the company wrote in an SEC filing.

The suspension is the latest setback for the company, which made a big push to position its video app as a TikTok replacement. Triller hired TikTok’s former head of product, Sean Kim, in late 2024 to oversee its video app and a few other business lines. In early 2025, it launched a website to recruit TikTok’s users when it looked like the ByteDance-owned video app might be banned in the US.

TikTok’s US future now looks a lot more secure after its CEO told staff that it expects to close a deal in late January to sell off parts of its US business and create a joint venture with new investors. TikTok’s stability, as well as the popularity of other short-video products from Instagram and YouTube, could make it harder for Triller to draw in new users.

Triller does not rely solely on its app to make money. It owns a variety of businesses, including a text-marketing tool, an influencer marketing platform called Julius, and the TrillerTV combat-sports streamer. But its TikTok-like app may have been a draw for some retail investors who saw an opportunity for the company to grab market share from one of the most successful new social platforms.

Triller’s delisting means investors can no longer trade its stock on the Nasdaq exchange, though they may be able to transact separately in what’s referred to as an over-the-counter trade.

The company was suspended because it failed to file its annual report for 2024 as well as quarterly reports for 2025, a delay that prompted multiple Nasdaq notices, a hearing, and the ultimate suspension of its “ILLR” stock from listing on the exchange.

Triller wrote in a Tuesday press release that its delayed filing is tied to “one remaining technical matter involving the consolidation of accounts” for a US-based operation, and that its management is “highly confident” that it will “regain full filing compliance within weeks.” The company said its operations have been progressing “in a normal manner” with no identified “deficiencies or irregularities” and that it’s in the final stages of upgrading its accounting systems.

Triller went public in October 2024 via a reverse merger with a Hong Kong-based firm called AGBA. The company nixed an earlier plan to go public via a direct listing. It reported around $18 million in operating revenue for the first nine months of 2024, a roughly 57% decline from the same period in 2023, according to a January SEC filing.

• Meta acquired Manus, a startup that has created a “general-purpose” AI agent to do tasks autonomously.
• One of Manus’ cofounders, Ji Yichao, said he dropped out of college — just like Mark Zuckerberg.
• Ji shared pictures of younger versions of himself and Zuckerberg working at laptops.

Meta was cofounded by a college dropout — and so was its latest acquisition.

Ji Yichao, the cofounder and chief scientist of Manus, the AI startup snapped up by Meta, shared two pictures on X: one of his younger self behind a laptop, and another of a young Mark Zuckerberg, seemingly in the same room, also working at a laptop.

Both pictures appear to have been taken at the so-called “Facebook House” in Palo Alto, California, a five-bed home where Zuckerberg worked on Facebook after famously dropping out of Harvard University in 2004. The house was later rented by budding entrepreneurs and business students.

“21 years ago and 13 years ago, two dropouts in this same room set out on their own journeys. Today, those paths merge,” Ji wrote in the Monday X post.

The 32-year-old Ji was the public face of Manus for its launch in March, introducing its “general-purpose” AI agent designed to carry out tasks autonomously. Meta announced its acquisition of Manus on Monday, which the Wall Street Journal reported exceeded $2 billion.

According to reports in Chinese media, Ji started a computer science degree at the Beijing Information Science and Technology University (BISTU) in 2010, but later dropped out to focus on entrepreneurship. He returned to BISTU in 2015 and graduated in 2018, according to a blog from the university. Manus did not immediately respond to a Business Insider request for comment.

Zuckerberg and Ji have plenty of company. Meta’s other big AI acquisition this year, Scale AI, was founded by another college dropout — Alexandr Wang. Microsoft cofounders Bill Gates and Allen dropped out of college, along with Apple CEO Steve Jobs, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and many more.

Ji’s post comes as college degrees are under renewed scrutiny. Gen Z in particular has been questioning whether a degree is worth the debt, while others are wondering if college can future-proof their career prospects in a job market being shaken up by AI.

Fei-Fei Li, a Stanford professor known as the “Godmother of AI,” said earlier this month that a college degree matters less now when her company hires software engineers.

However, data published by the New York Federal Reserve in April suggested that a college degree can still pay off in the long run — provided students pick the right degree.

Manus was launched in March by the Chinese AI product studio Butterfly Effect. The startup relocated to Singapore in mid-2025 and said it has surpassed $100 million in annual recurring revenue. Meta said it would continue to offer Manus’ subscription as a separate business while integrating the startup’s technology into its own platforms.

• Shoppers who use SNAP benefits will see changes to what they can buy in some states in 2026.
• Eighteen states plan to make changes to what people who use SNAP can buy.
• Most of the changes limit purchases of sugary drinks and foods.

Big changes are coming to how shoppers can use SNAP food benefits in some states.

Starting on January 1, some states are planning to implement new rules limiting purchases of soda, energy drinks, candy, and other foods for people who receive SNAP benefits, according to a list of changes provided by the Department of Agriculture. In total, 18 states plan to introduce new restrictions in 2026.

Nearly 42 million people, or about 12% of the US resident population, relied on SNAP benefits each month during the 2024 federal fiscal year, according to the Department of Agriculture.

The coming changes are in line with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again effort. Along with skepticism of vaccine mandates, Kennedy has highlighted the importance of limiting the consumption of certain food ingredients, such as sugar and some food dyes, as a priority.

To implement the changes, states had to request waivers from the federal government for existing rules governing how SNAP benefits can be spent.

Whether clamping down on purchases of sugary drinks and other foods will make people who rely on SNAP to buy food healthier remains unclear.

In many cases, shoppers and retailers haven’t been provided with a list of which products would no longer be eligible for purchase with SNAP dollars, the anti-hunger advocacy group Food Research and Action Center, or FRAC, wrote in a blog post on December 29.

In Iowa, for instance, the changes indicate that products, including vitamins and minerals, as well as candy-coated products, will no longer be eligible for SNAP in the new year. But that directive won’t help shoppers as they head to the store, FRAC said.

“The items list does not provide enough specific information to prepare a SNAP participant to go to the grocery store,” FRAC wrote.

Here are all 18 states that are changing which foods are SNAP-eligible in 2026, per the Department of Agriculture:

Arkansas

Starting July 1, SNAP rules in Arkansas will restrict purchases of soda, “unhealthy drinks,” drinks that are less than 50% natural juice, and candy.

Colorado

Colorado will restrict the purchase of soft drinks with SNAP funds on March 1.

Florida

Florida SNAP shoppers will face new restrictions on purchases of soda, energy drinks, candy, and “prepared desserts” starting on April 20.

Hawaii

The 50th state will limit SNAP shoppers’ ability to purchase soft drinks, beginning on August 1.

Idaho

Soda and candy purchases will be restricted for SNAP users in Idaho starting on February 15.

Indiana

In Indiana, shoppers who use SNAP benefits will face new restrictions on buying soft drinks and candy on January 1.

Iowa

Iowa, another state enacting SNAP changes on January 1, will restrict purchases of “all taxable food items.” According to a notice sent to SNAP recipients in that state, that means that shoppers can’t purchase soda, candy, candy-coated items, vitamins and minerals, chewing gum, or drinks with 50% or less fruit and vegetable juice.

Louisiana

Louisiana will restrict SNAP purchases of soft drinks, energy drinks, and candy starting February 18.

Missouri

People who use SNAP benefits in Missouri will see new restrictions on buying candy, prepared desserts, and “certain unhealthy beverages” starting on October 1.

Nebraska

Nebraska SNAP recipients will face restrictions on buying soda and energy drinks starting on January 1.

North Dakota

North Dakota will restrict purchases of soft drinks, energy drinks, and candy for SNAP shoppers starting September 1.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma shoppers who use SNAP will see fresh restrictions on purchasing soft drinks and candy as of February 15.

South Carolina

Candy, energy drinks, soft drinks, and sweetened beverages will all face new SNAP buying restrictions in South Carolina on August 31.

Tennessee

On July 31, Tennessee will restrict SNAP purchases of processed foods and beverages, “such as soda, energy drinks, and candy.”

Texas

Texas’ new rule, which takes effect on April 1, will limit purchases of sweetened drinks and candy among SNAP shoppers.

Utah

Utah will restrict the purchase of soft drinks for SNAP users starting January 1.

Virginia

Purchases of “sweetened beverages” will be restricted for SNAP users in Virginia starting on April 1.

West Virginia

Buying soda will be restricted for SNAP shoppers in West Virginia starting on January 1.

• Take Kurosawa and Joey Stockermans launched a website to help foreigners find homes in Japan.
• They’ve bought six homes themselves all over the country.
• Home-flipping and Airbnb aren’t huge money-makers in Japan, but profit wasn’t their main goal.

This as-told-to essay is based on conversations with Take Kurosawa, 35, and Joey Stockermans, 37, two North Americans who started AkiyaMart, a website designed to help foreigners buy homes in Japan. Since launching in 2023, the site has evolved to not only display listings but also facilitate home purchases. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Take Kurosawa: Our original plan was to make a website to help people search for homes in Japan. But people would start messaging us like, “Hey, I want to buy this property.” We were just like, “We don’t know how to do that.”

So we kind of just started faking it until we made it, to some degree, and putting the pieces together. We realized that we can do this and we understand what the customers want — we understand the friction points in Japan, having gone through the process ourselves so many times.

Joey Stockermans: Now, Take and I — out of the foreigners — are probably in the top 0.1% of people who understand the Japanese real estate process in the English-speaking world.

We know this process almost inside and out at this point. We’ve seen so many deals, and not only seen so many deals, but seen so many complications. And every time there’s a complication, you dig in, and you learn more about the real estate laws in Japan. You learn more about how the process works.

It’s been a lot of work, but I think very rewarding in the sense that we feel very comfortable with the real estate process now.

Kurosawa: About 20% of the people we help are trying to permanently move to Japan because they want to get out of either the US or Europe. Another 50% are looking for vacation homes, and then 30% are looking for investment properties.

We’ve bought more properties in Japan, but our goal isn’t solely to make money

Kurosawa: There was a point in time when we were considering trying to use the properties we own in Japan to make money, but we don’t have any Airbnb licenses yet on any of them.

Stockermans: We’ve only let friends and family stay at our properties before, and we don’t charge them anything. Our focus has really become the website, and that’s where we’re putting our energy.

The properties we own in Japan are really to supplement that, and to market the website — almost like marketing material, where we record our adventure.

Kurosawa: We’ve bought a total of six properties all over Japan. Our goal is to try out the different asset classes: We’ve done short-term rentals, mid-term rentals, long-term rentals. We’re trying to do a land demo, new build. We’ve flipped a property. So it’s just organically happened.

We have our first property, which is in Beppu. We bought one in Tama, which is in Tokyo. That was our most expensive one, around $114,000.

Next, we have Kitakyushu, which we bought for $3,500 and we’re renting it out long term. We’re making about 20% returns on it, which is crazy because we only paid so much for it.

Next, we bought this spot in Myoko, Niigata. Myoko’s really hot right now. It’s probably going to be the next Niseko — it’s like the snow capital. We also bought this for $3,500. We are going to demolish this building and put some tiny homes on it.

Then we bought this property in Nagasaki for $6,500, and we flipped it for $20,000 to a nice couple in California who moved out there with their kids.

Lastly, we bought another property in snow country up in a city called Otaru. We bought this for about $36,000. We’re going to try to flip this. We’re renovating it, getting an Airbnb license, and trying to sell it.

Stockermans: I was very new to purchasing property anywhere in the world — the Beppu house was my first home.

I think we made $4,000 profit on the Nagasaki flip. It was more of an experiment, honestly. The amount of work that we put into it was not worth our time and effort, but we were curious about the selling: how selling works in Japan, whether you can make money off of flips, and if we could leverage our website to help connect buyers and sellers here.

Kurosawa: When we opened up the Nagasaki home for sale on our site, we got 120 applicants within three days.

We didn’t want to come in and be those American bastards who buy and flip and ruin a small town. So we were pretty conscious of who we let into the community. The previous family lived there for 200 years or something like that. So we wanted to be really careful not to just let a random person who’s never been to Japan come here.

Stockermans: A lot of the effort outside of all the logistics of selling the property was vetting those 120 people. This specific town is mostly older retirees. If you put the wrong person in that situation, one, you might be setting that person up for failure themselves, but also, is the community really going to welcome that type of person?

Kurosawa: Obviously, we are developing the business, but I think we have not really indexed on making a ton of money off these properties. We’ve been taking our time with renovations, but it’s been less about making money off these properties and more about spending time in Japan.

We’re exploring more of Japan, and there are still more business opportunities for us

Stockermans: I would say mission accomplished in the sense that we’re spending a lot more time in Japan than I thought we would, and it’s getting more interesting.

Kurosawa: It’s been such a fun journey building this business. I think as we look at these new properties, we’ll start exploring areas in Japan that none of my friends in Japan have ever been.

Kurosawa: We’re starting to help bridge Japanese connections with foreigners. I think the deeper we dive into the tech game, we quickly realized a lot of these Japanese websites — and a lot of Japanese realtors — have no idea how to interact with foreigners. And also, a lot of these owners don’t know how to sell to foreigners.

More people are now coming to us to be like, “Hey, we need your help. We want to sell to foreigners because locals aren’t going to buy this property.”

So we’re uncovering more adventures. I think the big theme is how can we connect Japan to these foreigners, because there’s obviously a lot of friction — and a lot of opportunity, in my mind.

The deeper we go, the more opportunities and things we can build.

• I’ve been estranged from my mom for several years.
• Looking back, I can see how my childhood is shaping the way I’m raising my sons.
• I’m working hard to support their emotions and foster a healthy bond with both of them.

When I tell people that I’m estranged from my mom, I’m nearly always met with an apology. My reply is always to assure them it’s OK, because ultimately, it is OK.

Going no contact with my mom six years ago was a difficult decision to make, but it has had an incredible impact on the way I show up as a parent to my sons, now 8 and 10.

Ultimately, I believe the decision to take a step back from my relationship with my mom has made me a better mother.

My childhood still influences me

On the surface, my own childhood certainly looked idyllic. My dad worked, and my mom stayed home. I did well in school. I was involved. If I expressed interest in an activity, my mom signed me up. She schlepped me around town, to games and competitions, to art classes and orchestra practices. I stood out academically; my report cards always read “a pleasure to have in class.” I was a rule follower by nature, seemingly clinging to the order and structure that school offered me.

At home, I remember raised voices and arguments being the norm. I often busied myself with schoolwork and activities to avoid the chaos of home. It was a win-win. The adults in my life could point to my accomplishments as a sign of their success, and I could stay occupied in spaces that offered structure, praise for my efforts, and refuge from the discomfort that I remember feeling at home.

I want my kids to have a different type of childhood

Now that I’m a mother, I find myself looking back on childhood memories, discovering them colored by a new understanding of the dynamics that had played out. I can see a little girl so overwhelmed and flooded with feelings that she couldn’t make sense of them.

While I can now empathize a bit with my mother, who dealt with some extenuating circumstances that would be difficult for anyone to navigate, I also recognize that it was probably not the best environment for me to be in as a little girl.

I’m carving my own path

I now have a deeply feeling kid of my own, and boy, can we rile one another up. He quickly escalates when things aren’t perfect, the tears and yelling so deeply familiar. I see myself in him, but it also feels different now. I know I can stop the cycle.

I remember feeling such big feelings in such a small body as a child. Just like my son, the sobs came readily for me, too. Any frustration, any struggle, and it would rise in my chest, spilling out despite my best efforts. There wasn’t anyone to guide me through making sense of it, but it doesn’t need to be that way for my boys. I listen to them and support them.

What I learned in unpacking my own past is that the cycle of rupture and repair doesn’t have to continue. Distancing myself from my mother has made a new way of approaching life and motherhood a possibility. My job is to model regulation and support my sons, even when their feelings and struggles are hard.

While I no longer resent my mom, I do wish she had done the work to save me from the burden I carried for so long. I hope that eventually my sons can look back and appreciate the work I’m putting in every day to make sure we have a long, healthy relationship that has us enjoying each other’s company for many years.