Policies for an Ageing WorkforceWork-life balance, working conditions and equal opportunities 2019 (original) (raw)

Problems and Prospects for Current Policies to Extend Working Lives

Extended Working Life Policies

This chapter condenses several of the key takeaway points from earlier chapters on empirical, theoretical, and policy issues elucidated in Part One and provides readers with additional context to consider in their understanding of gender and health issues in the country-specific chapters upcoming in Part Two. First, we detail the central problematics associated with ageing populations and the policy initiatives taken so far to extend working lives. Next, we argue that for effective policymaking that would enable extended working lives, it is important to consider the interests of all of the actors affected and to pay attention to different problems that are highlighted by thinking through different levels of analysis-macro, meso, and micro. Further, we challenge the dominant rhetorical frame that policy initiatives undertaken recently have been about extending working lives, arguing instead that most countries' initiatives have been about delaying retirement. This has been embodied by policies very different from those that would be needed to ensure that older workers can remain employed longer in dignified, appropriate, and adequately compensated jobs. Both gender differences and variations in health status differentially empower older workers to continue in employment. Finally, we conclude that research and policymaking that improves understanding and the potential for extended working lives is essential, and that it must be sensitive to variations among differently advantaged subgroups of older people.

Introduction: Key Issues and Policies for Extending Working Life

Extended Working Life Policies, 2020

Extended working life policies have been widely promoted in Europe and in wider international settings. However, to date, these policies have not, for the most part, taken sufficient account of the gender and health dimensions of working longer. This chapter outlines the empirical and policy landscapes that are present in Europe and several other countries. It examines the different meanings of 'extended working life' and the indicators used to justify raising the age of eligibility for a pension. Gender and health inequalities related to extended working life, such as gender pay and pension gaps and differential life expectancy rates are presented. The influence of the labour market on the employability of older workers is examined in the context of economic downturns and digitalisation. The chapter concludes that policy initiatives which meet the diverse needs of older workers and which address gender and health inequalities related to extended working should be a priority for governments and employers in the years ahead.

Older Workers: The ‘Unavoidable Obligation’ of Extending Our Working Lives?

Sociology Compass, 2010

Older workers are becoming an increasing topic of research interest and policy concern as the populations of Europe, the United States and many other countries age. Some commentators argue that living longer means that there will be an 'unavoidable obligation' to work for longer as well. This article considers the reasons for concern about an ageing workforce. It then looks at the different literatures, which seek to research and understand the position of older workers. It provides a snapshot of the work that those over 50 years of age in the UK currently do and poses the question of whether we want to work for longer or whether a culture of early retirement prevails. It concludes by arguing for a more fine grained understanding of the composition of the older worker cohort, differentiated by class, gender and race and for more research on flexible work, gradual retirement and managing health at work.

Extending Working Lives–Sticks and Carrots to Get the Older Unemployed Back into Employment

Intereconomics, 2016

Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden. Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen. Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. Terms of use: Documents in EconStor may be saved and copied for your personal and scholarly purposes. You are not to copy documents for public or commercial purposes, to exhibit the documents publicly, to make them publicly available on the internet, or to distribute or otherwise use the documents in public. If the documents have been made available under an Open Content Licence (especially Creative Commons Licences), you may exercise further usage rights as specified in the indicated licence. www.econstor.eu 1 Mobilising the Potential of Active Ageing in Europe (MoPAct) is a European Commission-funded programme, drawing together a multidisciplinary team to target the key challenges of ageing. 2 A. d´A d d i o : Recent pension reforms promoting higher retirement ages, presented at workshop on delivering longer working lives and higher retirement ages, European Commission and the OECD, Brussels, 12-13 November 2014.

Aging and the Future of Decent Work

2021

The United Nations identified decent work and economic growth as a sustainable development goal for 2030. Decent work is a term that sums up aspirations for people in their working lives. One of the factors that influences the achievement of decent work is aging. This article examines how aspects of aging and organizational factors affect work ability across the lifespan and throughout one’s work career. Additionally, the critical issue of worker physical mobility was also addressed as a practical limitation to functional aging. Through our investigation, we identified gaps in the literature where research and interventions should be promoted. These include early disability studies; population dashboards of workers’ health metrics; intervention and cost effectiveness in health promotion and prevention of early functional aging at work; policies for tailoring demands to individual needs and abilities; and inequities of social protection for aging workers.

Ageing at Work: Between Changing Social Policy Patterns and Reorganization of Working Times

Population Review, 2011

The employment rate of older workers in Belgium is low, compared to other European countries. For some years now, international organizations have been concerned about the viability of pension systems and their ability to achieve their objectives. In Belgium, as in the European Union, the government introduced (at the beginning of 2000) a series of measures aimed at encouraging older people to remain in or to re-enter the labour market. The aim of this paper is to show how transformations of public policy as regards retirement are contrary to both individuals' aspirations and changing professional constraints. The low employment rate of older workers is explained by public policy initiatives of the State at a given time and by the situation of individuals. Early retirement from the labour market is analysed using data from a more micro-sociological perspective, that is, either a desire to leave professional life to pursue other aspirations or other projects outside the professional sphere, or because of deteriorating working conditions in their professional life. This paper clearly shows how reducing working time at the end of a career can be an interesting alternative to the policies that are currently in force.

Active Ageing and the European Labour Market: Synthesis Report

2004

This study considers active ageing policies in labour market in ten European countries. The study aims to identify changes to European labour markets in the past 15 years and assess what these changes mean for active ageing policy agendas (i.e. identify barriers and opportunities). In Active Ageing programmes the concepts and aims can be European but the national institutions of each welfare state should appropriate its own programme of social learning. The reason is the clear differences shown to prevail both in the labour markets and in the pace of ageing in individual European countries. However, ageing is more rapid in public sector in all countries. For example in Finland, in government sector in 10 years 75% of leaders and 50% of employees retire. It is argued that one of the main barriers to the employment of older people is inaccurate perceptions about the capabilities of older workers such as long professional experience and the atmosphere of reliability and loyalty to employers. However, one cannot isolate issues pertaining to older workers. Age management is bound to general wellbeing at work places. Successful active ageing policy could also be part of innovative human resource management. An increasing number of firms are adopting new human resource management that has large impact on employeremployee work relations. Many of the positive characteristics of older workers relate to a longer work relationship and particularly the recruitment of new older workers is difficult and should be subsidised. Finally, new senior citizenship should be introduced that also covers retired. This is particularly important when active ageing policies are prone to be conducted by labour market participants (unions and employer federations) that are likely to ignore issues relevant for the retired.