At Which Wich's franchise meeting in January, Gen Y expert Eric Chester explained how to motivate and manage the people who make up the bulk of the sandwich chain's work force.

For many years, operators scarcely worried about their staff's ages. That's because their employees were mostly young and enthusiastic about working alongside their peers. Moreover, what other age groups would work for such meager wages? Or would want to be on their feet all day or all night in such a fast-paced environment?

Back then, the big age difference was between the general manager and the rest of the staff.

That's history in most markets. A sinking economy, stagnant wages, healthier lifestyles and an aging population have been contributing to an age-diverse workplace in which 17-year-olds work alongside senior citizens. Clashes are bound to occur.

“Absolutely there's conflict, and in many forms,” says Cheryl Fowlkes, director of work force diversity for Orlando, Fla.-based Darden Restaurants.

Statistics show that 43 percent of the industry's employees are 24 or younger, and 20 percent are 45 and older.

“Veterans,” otherwise known as Traditionalists and senior citizens, are swelling in number. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that their presence in the work force has been climbing, to about 4 percent in 2008. Already, people 55 and older make up 6.5 percent of workers in “foodservice and drinking places.” The bureau expects that trend to continue.

That is, if they can find jobs. In today's sputtering economy, they face stiff competition from the many young people looking for work. The unemployment rate for teenagers, for example, was 21.6 percent in February, according to the bureau, a year-to-date increase of 4 percent. Twenty percent of of all restaurant employees are between 16 and 19 years old—about 5 times the proportion in all industries.

Dallas-based human resources consultancy People Report, which tracks industry hiring and turnover rates, says 40 percent of the chains that share hiring data with it expect to trim their hourly work force. “It's a talent buyers' market,” declares Lexington, Ky.-based hospitality recruiter Amanda Hite, CEO of Talent Revolution and a former director of training and development for Applebee's franchisee Thomas & King.

That helps explain why some operators' enthusiasm for keeping peace among generations is waning. Asked if teaching managers about such issues is a less important today, Golden Corral Vice President of Human Resources Judy Irwin says: “People seem to be happier with their jobs, maybe because they hear about others who don't have them. The amount of employee issues surrounding this subject is less.”

Yet she concedes the subject came up during a recent management trainee meeting at headquarters in Raleigh, N.C., in January. “It's not that these issues don't arise or are not happening. But people on the whole are better managing them,” she says.

“Don't look for [employees] who slap people on the back or are more confident than anyone else,” advises Tulgan, cautioning that boomer managers are attracted to these types. “It's not who you want. What you want are the people who practice the basics. They are patient about teaching others and are able to exercise authority with a smile because they are committed to the mission of the business.”

Darden also addresses stereotypes at manager meetings. For the past 10 years, the company has been working to dispel assumptions about workers, Fowlkes says. Part of Darden's overall diversity initiative, a three-day course for managers includes a module on dealing with generational issues. This is necessary, she adds, because the ages of employees—hourlies and managers—span all four generations.

“We start with the basics of what the multi-generational issues are,” Fowlkes explains. That usually means instructors first delve into what managers think they know about other age groups. From there, they whittle down stereotypes. Fowlkes, for example, will tell a manager to describe his thought process when a Gen Y employee calls off just before dinner service and when a senior does the same.

“Inevitably, managers conclude the Gen Y employee wants to party, not work, and the Veteran is calling off because he must be really sick,” she says. “In reality, I tell them it may well be the opposite.”

“Boomers mistake [Gen Y's] high self-esteem for entitlement,” offers Hite. “They think they're not interested in paying their dues.”

One way to disabuse such notions, she suggests, is to implement a mentoring program. “Pairing up people from different generations is mutually beneficial for both of them. Every boomer should have a 16-year-old mentor,” she declares.

Dallas-based Which Wich, a sandwich chain with 75 units, doesn't offer a formal mentoring program. But that doesn't mean CEO and Gen Xer Jeff Sinelli hasn't learned a thing or two from his Gen Y employees. “It's a more colorful generation, from jewelry to clothing to body art,” he says. “I try to resonate with them by wearing the same things they do: jeans and Which Wich shirts and our yellow and black tennis shoes.”

Sinelli recently formalized communication channels. To speak with franchisees, vendors or his management team, executives use mainstream channels such as phone or e-mail. For employees, they communicate through a company blog (blogspot.superiorsandwiches.com), which features announcements of new store openings and company events.

Still, Sinelli isn't taking chances when comes to understanding employees. In January, he hired Gen Y expert Eric Chester, a Denver-based human-resources consutant, to address corporate employees, franchisees and vendors at its annual franchise meeting. “The reason for bringing him in,” Sinelli explains, “was to let us know how to communicate with them.”

What did Sinelli, who's 40, learn? “It gave me an appreciation for this segment, Gen Y.”