8/11/2019 Affairs, Opportunities - Age management in companies in Europe.pdf

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info sheet

WHAT is the context?

Over the past decade, the challenges arising from theageing of the workforce in Europe have triggered arange of different policy responses from governmentsand social partners. The increased participation of olderworkers in the labour market is seen as a major factor inachieving more sustainable economic and socialdevelopment in the European Union. Concerns aboutpensions, economic growth and the future laboursupply have fuelled a range of policy recommendationsand initiatives to support longer working lives and laterretirement.

Over the next 20 years, the average age of the workingpopulation will increase and the number of men andwomen of working age will decline. The challenge ishow to develop the skills and employability of olderworkers, while maintaining the health, motivation andcapacities of workers as they age. Actions need to betaken to combat discrimination and negativestereotypes of older workers. Above all, workingconditions as well as employment opportunities must beappropriate for an age-diverse workforce.

WHY this research?

In the mid-1990s, the Foundation began research intobarriers and opportunities for age management incompanies. At that time, more than 150 case studies ofgood practice in companies were documented. Thesecase studies covered public and private sectors andsmall, medium as well as large enterprises. Theyhighlighted good practice in relation to such issues asrecruitment, training and development, flexibleworking, health and ergonomics.

The Foundation has followed up these initiatives,analysing their effects on attitudes, the workforce ingeneral and company policy. Lessons from the casestudies are drawn together in a report that documentspolicy developments over the last decade and looks atthe evolution and impact of initiatives at the workplace.

The research has been extended to the new MemberStates, where the employment situation of older workersdiffers from country to country but where employmentrates are also relatively low and the average exit age issimilar to that in other Member States. The search forcase studies of good practice has been under way in fiveof the new Member States, as well as in Bulgaria andRomania.

WHAT are the findings?

Range of measures

Good practice in age management involvesspecific measures to combat age barriers orpromote age diversity.

Such measures, however, may co-exist with othermeasures which restrict employment opportunities

for older workers.

Many companies, particularly larger companies,opt for a comprehensive approach: for example,

flexible working hours combined with health caremeasures.

Most initiatives that benefit older workers havebeen introduced at relatively low cost.

Integrated and comprehensive human resourcepolicies for active age management are notcommon.

Measures are oriented towards both prevention for example, health, training, ergonomic or worklife balance and compensation, to make up forlost opportunities.

In the new Member States, Bulgaria and Romania,less priority has been accorded to the promotionof active ageing and to increasing employmentrates among older workers, especially women andthose with low skills.

By remaining in the workforce, older workers can continue to contribute

to the economy, to society at large, but also to their own personal dignity

and well-being.

Vladimr pidla, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities,

XVIII International EURAG Congress, Ljubljana, 30 September 2005

Age management

in companies in Europe

8/11/2019 Affairs, Opportunities - Age management in companies in Europe.pdf

2/2EF/06/08/EN

In many businesses, the ageing of the customer basehas led to a demand for older employees to match

client preferences or expectations.

Changes in public policies or financial supports haveinfluenced some company practices for example,changes to the statutory retirement age or pensionlaws.

Benefits for workers

The case studies point to improved well-being, morepositive work attitudes and increased employabilityof older workers.

There is a positive impact on all workers in terms ofinter-generational relationships, and on knowledge

and attitudes about older colleagues.

Older employees were found to be open to newpossibilities for learning and development.

Good practice in comprehensive approaches tendsto be characterised by a focus on the whole workinglife and all age groups, not just older workers.

Some initiatives directed at older workers involvepersonal development, readjustments to workschedules, health checks or opportunities for furtherqualification.

WHAT now?

Recent changes in public policies and developments suchas anti-discrimination legislation go some way towardsaddressing the challenges and opportunities of an ageingworkforce. The agenda for action to improve theemployment of older workers involves governmentpolicies at different levels, the social partners and socialdialogue, and companies, as well as older workersthemselves.

The Foundations research and database of case studiesoffers an up-to-date resource of ideas, initiatives andincentives to respond to demands for better agemanagement at the workplace. In future there is scope for

increasing the level of awareness and commitment andstimulating change in all organisations, particularly in thenew Member States. At policy level, changes in early exitand retirement policies need to be accompanied byinvestment in an ageing workforce.

Successful outcomes

Including workers in the change process was often amore important factor in a positive outcome than theinitiative itself.

Successful examples often involved mixed-age teams,which combine the skill advantages of different agegroups.

Targeted initiatives to promote the health and skillsof older employees have proved more advantageousto employers than redundancies or early retirement.

Successful outcomes depend not only oncommitment from top management but also ontraining for managers and supervisors, theinvolvement of workers representatives andcompany-wide age-awareness campaigns.

Employment rate of the older population (aged 55-64 years)in 2004, by country

Benefits for companies

For companies, the main advantages were viewed interms of economic factors, productivity and labour

supply issues.

Developing and implementing good practice isusually triggered by the direct business needs ofcompanies, rather than pressure from public policyor age-awareness campaigns.

Recruitment and retention of workers with particularskills is a key strategy many firms have identifiedspecific skills and more general qualifications orexperience of older employees as an asset.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

EU25

SEDKUKEEFIPTCYIELVLTNLCZDEESELFRHUMTLUITBESIATSKPL

26.2 26.8

28.8 29 30 30.5 30.8 30.9 31.1

37.3

39.441.3 41.8

42.7

45.247.1 47.9

49.5 50.1 50.3 50.9

52.4

56.2

60.3

69.1

41

%

Source: European Commission, Employment in Europe 2005.

Further information

Teresa Renehan at ter@eurofound.eu.int

Database of employment initiatives for an ageing workforce

http://www.eurofound.eu.int/areas/populationandsociety/

ageingworkforce.htm

The good practice guide and report on developments in age management in

workplaces over the past ten years will be published in 2006, available at

http://www.eurofound.eu.int/areas/populationandsociety/index.htm

Foundation work on related issues

Combating age barriers in employment

http://www.eurofound.eu.int/areas/populationandsociety/ageing.htm

Ageing and work in Europe

http://www.eurofound.eu.int/publications/htmlfiles/ef0483.htm

EWCO topic report: Ageing and work in Europe

(http://www.eurofound.eu.int/publications/files/EF0483EN.pdf)

European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions

Wyattville Road, Loughlinstown, Dublin 18, Ireland

Telephone: (+353 1) 204 21 00 Email: postmaster@eurofound.eu.int

website: www.eurofound.eu.int

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