The first American baby boomer registered for her government pension earlier this month, and there are 76m more where she came from. Corporate America is terrified that the postwar birth boom could fuel a 21st century lawsuit explosion, as more and more geriatrics cling to jobs they can no longer perform – and then sue the boss that fires them.

The statistics are enough to give a thirty-something human resources manager premature arrhythmia: recent studies suggest that nearly three-quarters of American workers intend to work past retirement age – and 12 per cent say they will never retire.