Active and Healthy Ageing at Work—A Qualitative Study with Employees 55 - 63 Years and Their Managers

Abstract

The proportion of elderly individuals in the population is increasing in most industrial countries. This demographic change increases the need of more people who work until an older age to maintain the welfare in the states. However, it is not clear if older employees are interested to in generally extend the working life to an older age. It is also not stated if managers in organizations are interested of extending their older employees working life. The overall aim of this study was to examine older employees own experience of their work situation and ageing at work. The aim was also to investigate their managers' attitude to them as older employees. The investigation was conducted by focusing group interviews with employees aged 55-63 years, and with their mangers aged 40-63 years. The findings stated that the older employees' consideration for an extend working life seemed to be based on their health and health problems in relation to their work situation; their personal economy; their managers attitude to them as elderly and the possibility to social inclusion at work; and their possibilities for self-crediting activities at work despite their age. The managers seem to have a positive attitude to some of the older employees' experience knowledge, if that was in the same direction as their own interest. Otherwise the mangers saw the older employees as problem and obsoleted. The managers were also negative to older employees who got health problems which effect the work production negatively. The older workers in this study described managers' importance to if they want to work in an extended working life. However, the managers seem not to understand their own importance in this and were not interested to keep all elderly in an extended working life.

Organizational Hindrances to the Retention of Older Healthcare Workers

“…The lack of policies acknowledging older workers as a specific group makes HR activities targeting older employees reliant on the personal engagement of individual managers and on deals negotiated on an individual basis. Although managers' motivation and willingness to support older workers are essential in creating the right workplace conditions (Furunes et al 2011;Jensen & Møberg 2012;Leisink & Knies 2011;Nilsson 2017), dependence on first-line managers' personal incentives can lead to arbitrary outcomes. The lack of age-management policies seems to generate passivity among many line managers and HR partners, even though they consider older workers a valuable resource, even though they face large unmet staffing needs, and even though many of their employees wish to work past retirement age (Nordic Council of Ministers 2014;SKL 2018).…”

“…For example, older workers can contribute their labor power, experience, and specific skills, in return receiving remuneration from the organization in terms of income, benefits, and access to social networks. From an employer perspective, Conen et al (2011) presented two reasons for organizations to retain and recruit older workers: the business-cycle hypothesis emphasizes the employers' interest in avoiding labor shortages over time; the human-capital hypothesis stresses that older workers can be desirable to employers for their experience, specific skills, and contributions to ensure knowledge transfer to younger employees (Fabisiak & Prokurat 2012;Fuertes et al 2013;Nilsson & Nilsson 2017).…”

Organisational Measures and Strategies for a Healthy and Sustainable Extended Working Life and Employability

“…Furthermore, earlier studies state the elderly employee's experience and calming effect as important [24,26]. However, in order to increase the willingness to participate in an extended working life the elderly employees also need to know they are valued, feel appreciated and have the possibility of participating and being included in a social context in the organisation.…”

When is work a cause of early retirement and are there any effective organizational measures to combat this? A population-based study of perceived work environment and work-related disorders among employees in Sweden

“…In the swAge-model, areas of significance to our biological ageing and its effect on individuals being able to and wanting to be part of the workforce until a higher age are: self-rated health, diagnoses, chronic diseases and injuries [7]; physical workplace environment with heavy workload, monotonous and repetitive motions, climate, air, chemical health hazards and accidents [8][9][10]; mental workplace environment and stress, demands, control, threats and violence [11]; working hours, work pace and possibility of recuperation [13]. The social age definition and its' impact on being able to and wanting to participate in an extended working life is related to the individual's partner/family, spare time, and social environment [14][15][16]; the organizational climate in the workplace relating to leadership, attitudes, discrimination, social support and participation; and how elderly are perceived as co-workers [17]. The cognitive age definition and its' impact on stimulating, fulfilling and meaningful tasks and activities at work [11,18], as well as knowledge, skills and competence [19].…”

“…Furthermore, being able to work requires a good physical working environment; a good mental working environment; appropriate working hours, work pace and time for recuperation; and proper knowledge and competence. Whether an individual wants to work until a higher age depends on the manager, the leadership, the participation and social support at work, as well as the core of the work with meaningful, stimulating and self-fulfilling tasks and activities [4,5,17].…”