Unemployed, Immigrant, and Older Asian Workers in a U.S.-Based Job-Training Program: Their Experiences and Well-Being, and Strategies for Reaching This Important Population

The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) is a U.S.-based job-training program that serves unemployed workers aged 55 and older with incomes at or below 125% of the federal poverty level. While federal funds are set aside to serve Asian workers in SCSEP, little is known about their characteristics and experiences. In response, this pilot study aimed to document the health, well-being, and experiences of older Asian SCSEP participants in Massachusetts through the completion of a survey. Respondents (N = 39) ranged in age from 58 to 73 and identified as either Chinese (72%) or Vietnamese (28%). All were immigrants, and almost all spoke a language other than English at home. Most reported "good" health as well as financial difficulties. They also stated that their supervisors in their placements were supportive. On average, respondents noted moderate interest in searching for a paid job after exiting SCSEP, although more reported interest in searching for a volunteer role. Key to the success of this study was a robust collaboration with a local human services organization with strong ties to the Chinese and Vietnamese communities. The findings highlight the importance of this growing group of older workers.

Associations between employment and mental health of older workers with disparate conditions: Evidence from China

PURPOSE

This study aimed to examine associations between the employment of older people and mental health across demographic characteristics, socioeconomic conditions, and health status, with a focus on pensions.

METHODS

This study included 4,512 participants aged 60-69 from the CLASS in 2014. A multiple linear regression was conducted to investigate the association between employment and mental health. A causal forest model was applied to estimate the heterogeneous treatment effects.

RESULTS

Employed individuals (n = 1,295) reported better mental health than their non-employed counterparts. This association displayed significant heterogeneity, primarily attributed to pensions. Those with lower pensions may be compelled to work due to financial reasons, thus offsetting the health-promotion effect of employment.

CONCLUSION

Employment may benefit the mental health of older adults, which has a more significant marginal effect on those who are men, older, urban residents, without a spouse, below primary education, receiving more pensions, and less family and friend support.

A systematic review of literature on occupational health and safety interventions for older workers

As the global population ages there is an imperative to enhance labour participation of older workers in ways that support good physical and psychological health. However, there is limited guidance for organisations on how to do this effectively. This systematic review examined literature identified through four databases and a targeted web-search, yielding 39 PRISMA records (32 scholarly, seven grey literature) reporting workplace interventions aimed at improving the injury outcomes of older workers. The review revealed that organisational and composite interventions may be most effective, although an absence of robust research in this area and a scarcity of empirical evidence-based interventions known to improve injury outcomes for older workers was noted. Responding to these shortcomings, this article presents 'A future research agenda for older worker health, safety and well-being interventions.' This systems-based approach has a dual focus on organisational and composite interventions combined with robust research design.Practitioner summary: We conducted a systematic literature review of studies focussed on workplace interventions to improve the physical and psychological safety of older workers. Within the existing literature, evidence for effective interventions and guidance for organisations is weak. We present a future research agenda with a systems approach to address these gaps.

Effects of digital skills and other individual factors on retirement decision-making and their gender differences

Increasing the pension age as a dominant solution to population ageing does not bring desirable outcomes, if not accompanied by other essential measures in lifelong learning and fighting age discrimination. Moreover, rapid digitalisation and automation in the labour market bring additional uncertainties for the growing group of older workers. The analysis is based on the SHARE data from Waves 5, 6, and 7 and examines predictors of retirement intentions by two different estimation methods. While digital skills are positively associated with a willingness to stay in the labour market in the random-effect modelling, fixed-effects regression shows no correlation between digital skills and retirement intentions. This difference means that digital skills do not correlate with retirement intentions once we control for time-invariant individual characteristics. Thus, increasing ICT literacy among older workers can have a very limited potential for extending working lives. In contrast to this result, starting to be self-employed, health improvement, having an additional grandchild, and losing a partner increase the willingness to work longer. The study identifies the factors shaping retirement intentions, which should be reflected in any effective social policy.

Do early life factors explain the educational differences in early labour market exit? A register-based cohort study

BACKGROUND

Socioeconomic inequalities in labour market participation are well established. However, we do not fully know what causes these inequalities. The present study aims to examine to what extent factors in childhood and late adolescence can explain educational differences in early labour market exit among older workers.

METHODS

All men born in 1951-1953 who underwent conscription examination for the Swedish military in 1969-1973 (n = 145 551) were followed from 50 to 64 years of age regarding early labour market exit (disability pension, long-term sickness absence, long-term unemployment and early old-age retirement with and without income). Early life factors, such as cognitive ability, stress resilience, and parental socioeconomic position, were included. Cox proportional-hazards regressions were used to estimate the association between the level of education and each early labour market exit pathway, including adjustment for early life factors.

RESULTS

The lowest educated men had a higher risk of exit through disability pension (HR: 2.72), long-term sickness absence (HR: 2.29), long-term unemployment (HR: 1.45), and early old-age retirement with (HR: 1.29) and without income (HR: 1.55) compared to the highest educated men. Factors from early life explained a large part of the educational differences in disability pension, long-term sickness absence and long-term unemployment but not for early old-age retirement. Important explanatory factors were cognitive ability and stress resilience, whilst cardiorespiratory fitness had negligible impact.

CONCLUSIONS

The association between education and early exit due to disability pension, long-term sickness absence and long-term unemployment was to a large part explained by factors from early life. However, this was not seen for early old-age retirement. These results indicate the importance of taking a life-course perspective when examining labour market participation in later working life.

Health trajectories across the work exit transition in the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s: the role of working conditions and policy

PURPOSE

We examined health trajectories of Dutch older workers across their exit from the workforce in the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s, testing the hypothesis that pre-post-exit health trajectories of workers with favourable and unfavourable working conditions increasingly diverged over time due to policy measures to extend working life.

METHODS

The Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam includes baseline samples in 1992/1993, 2002/2003 and 2012/2013 with two 3-year follow-up waves each. Selected respondents were aged 55 years and over who exited from a paid job within the first or second 3-year interval, up to and including the statutory retirement age (N = 522). Pre-post-exit trajectories were modelled using Generalized Estimating Equations with outcomes self-rated health and physical limitations and determinants physical demands, psychosocial demands, and psychosocial resources.

RESULTS

Average work exit age rose from 60.7 in the 1990s to 62.9 in the 2010s. On average, self-rated health decreased somewhat over successive periods and did not show pre-post-exit change; average physical limitations increased substantially both over successive periods and from pre- to post-exit. No support is found for our hypothesis. However, regardless of work exposures, we found sharp pre-post-exit increases in physical limitations in the 2010s.

CONCLUSION

Although these findings provide no support for our hypothesis of diverging health trajectories over time based on work exposure, they show that exiting at a higher age is linked to poorer pre- and post-exit health and to pre-post-exit increases in physical limitations, suggesting greater health care costs in the near future.

Age and domestic migration effects on workers' commuting distance

Do older workers, including those that work beyond age 65, have different commuting patterns than their younger counterparts? With a focus on older working adults, including those that continue to work beyond age 65, this paper examines the relationship between migration, residential location, and commute distance within Toronto's commuter shed. The study utilizes data from the master file of the 2016 Canadian Census, allowing migrants to be disaggregated by duration of residence. Results indicate that living in rural areas and being a recent migrant are significantly associated with longer commutes. Furthermore, findings demonstrate that the commute distance of very recent migrants (those who migrated in the year immediately prior to the census) and individuals who moved to rural areas have the longest commute distances. As residential duration increases, commute distance decreases. Older workers have similar commuting behaviors as younger workers, although older workers who recently migrated have some of the longest commute distances as well.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11116-022-10341-5.

Age and gender relations on LinkedIn pages of global staffing agencies

This study investigates the ways in which age and gender play out on the LinkedIn pages of global staffing agencies through an intersectionality lens. A discourse analysis of 437 LinkedIn posts (including visual images, captions, and comments) was conducted. This study found that the corporate discourse of diversity shaped the ways that age and gender were represented. The portrayals of age and gender were found to create gendered specializations of labor and reproduce gender stereotypes; additionally, some workers were represented as disembodied clusters of attributes. The results of this study show the complex ways in which age and gender systems unfold, including two systems mutually reinforcing, gender/age system surfacing, and two systems dissolving. The findings suggest that diversity has lost its performativity as a concept, as its portrayals may not support disadvantaged groups gaining access to better employment opportunities. This study proposes that staffing agencies actively address intersectional disadvantages and foster a gender- and age-transformative change.

Employment trends at older ages: policy impact or secular change?

Observed increases in retirement age are generally attributed to policies to extend working lives (PEW). In a quasi-experimental design, we examine to what extent increases in employment of older workers can be attributed to secular changes in individual characteristics as opposed to PEW. We compare two countries: one with clear PEW (the Netherlands) and one without PEW (Norway). Data come from the Dutch Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam and the NORwegian Longitudinal study on Aging and Generations. From each study, two same-age (55-64 years) samples are selected, one recruited in 2002-03, and one recruited after five (Norway) and ten years (Netherlands). In pooled regression analysis, paid work is the outcome variable, and time of measurement, the main independent variable. Individual characteristics include age, sex, educational level, self-perceived health, functional limitations, sense of mastery, and work status of partner. Employment rose in both countries, faster in the Netherlands than in Norway. Of the rise in employment, individual characteristics explained less in the Netherlands than in Norway. Accounting for these, the interaction country*time was significant, indicating an extra rise in employment of 5.2 and 7.5% points for Dutch men and women, net of individual characteristics and unobserved factors that are assumed to be similar in both countries. The extra rise in the Netherlands represents 57% of the total rise for both sexes. Thus, secular change in individual characteristics explains part of the rise in employment in both countries. In the Netherlands, other factors such as PEW may additionally explain the rise in employment.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10433-021-00664-0.

Health and labor force participation among older workers in Switzerland: a growth curve analysis

This study investigated how individual trajectories of self-rated health (SRH) and working hours among older workers in Switzerland are interrelated and how this relationship varies based on occupation. We used data from the Swiss Household Panel to analyze the long-term trajectories of older workers measured in terms of working hours and SRH. The sample included more than 4000 workers aged 50 to 65(men)/64(women). We ran a bivariate response multilevel model for growth that allowed the examination of between- and within-individual changes over time. On a between-individual level, we found that the upper non-manual workers were the most heterogeneous occupational group in terms of working hours and the lower non-manual workers were the most heterogeneous occupational group in terms of health. Within all occupational groups, we found a significant relationship between the level of working hours and level of SRH. The individual-level statistics showed consistently strongest effects for manual workers. This result confirms our hypothesis that labor force participation in individuals of the manual occupational group is more sensitive to their health status. Our findings contribute to the debate regarding the importance of older workers' health in the context of the extension of working life.

Maintaining work ability in outdoor workers - A long-term evaluation

In this three-year study we examined the effect on work ability in a cohort of workers before and after the implementation of a workplace intervention based on the APHIRM (A Participative Hazard Identification and Risk Management) toolkit. Primary analysis was conducted to detect changes in mean work ability scores between baseline and three-year follow-up for all workers who completed the surveys (matched and unmatched), and all workers who were ≥50 years of age (matched and unmatched). There were no significant differences between the two time periods. A secondary analysis was undertaken to examine associations between risk factors and work ability scores. This identified that six of the 18 psychosocial risk factors, and three of the eight physical risk factors associated with reduced work ability at baseline were no longer significant. These results indicate that the APHIRM toolkit may be effective in identifying hazards which, if addressed, could contribute to the maintenance of work ability over time.

Transitioning out of work and metabolic syndrome incidence: a longitudinal study among 13 303 older workers from the Lifelines Cohort Study and Biobank

BACKGROUND

This study investigates (1) whether different employment transition types (ie, unemployment, work disability, early retirement and regular retirement) are associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS) incidence among older workers (50-64 years) and (2) whether occupational group moderates the association between employment transition type and MetS incidence.

METHODS

A sample of 13 303 older Dutch workers from the Lifelines Cohort Study and Biobank was examined using longitudinal data from two comprehensive measurement waves with a mean follow-up time of 3.7 years. MetS components were based on physical measures, blood markers and medication use. Employment transitions were determined using questionnaires. Logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the association between employment transition type and MetS incidence.

RESULTS

Older workers who transitioned from employment to unemployment (adjusted OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.82) or work disability (adjusted OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.15 to 3.10) had a significantly higher MetS incidence than the working control group. No association between early retirement or regular retirement with MetS incidence was found after adjusting for sociodemographic, educational and occupational factors. Occupational group did not moderate the association between employment transition type and MetS incidence.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that older workers who transition from employment to unemployment or work disability are at risk for developing MetS. More awareness among occupational physicians and general practitioners about MetS incidence in late working life is needed in general and more specific among older workers who transition into unemployment or work disability.

Quality of work community and workers' intention to retire

Purpose

To study the workers’ perception of the quality of work community and its association with intention to retire early, separately among women and men working in Finnish postal service.

Methods

A questionnaire survey was sent to all Finnish postal services employees aged ≥ 50 years in 2016 and 44% (n = 2096) replied to the survey (mean age 56.3, 40% women). Employee’s intention to retire before statutory retirement was measured on a scale of 1–5 and dichotomized. The quality of work community was defined by four composite variables: equality at work, flexibility at work, supportive work environment and health or other reason and trichotomized by their tercile values. Odds ratio (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for associations of quality of work community with intention to retire were calculated separately for men and women using log binomial regression models adjusted for potential confounders.

Results

About one-third of respondents intended to retire early with no significant gender difference in retirement intention. Low equality at work (women OR 2.77, 95% CI 1.60–4.81; men 2.84, 1.80–4.48) and low flexibility at work (women 3.30, 1.94–5.60; men 2.91, 1.88–4.50) was associated with higher likelihood of intention to retire. Among women intention to retire was found less likely due to low supportive work environment (0.52, 0.31–0.89) and among men due to intermediate health or other reason (0.65, 043–0.98).

Conclusion

The results highlight the importance of the quality of work community as well as the promotion of work-related health in order to encourage employees to remain at workforce for longer.

Doing age in the workplace: Exploring age categorisation in performance appraisal

Ageism in the manager-employee relationship is one of the main obstacles towards an age-inclusive workplace. Ageism in the labour market is rooted in the use of age as an organising principle of employment relations. This article contributes to the study of ageism in the workplace by investigating how stages of life, as normalised age categories, are mobilised through discursive practices in performance appraisals. Based on the analysis of video recordings of actual performance appraisal interviews at an Italian labour union, three discursive ways of 'doing age' - or of how age, as a constructed social category, is performed and enacted - were identified: quantification (e.g. number of years in the organisation), 'ageing within the organisation' and age-group membership identification (e.g. 'young' vs. 'old'). The analysis suggests that stages of life categories and age attributes are 'done' in social interactions and employed by both employees and managers as shared culture to sustain ongoing organisational activities, thereby reproducing discriminatory age norms and stereotypes. The study demonstrates how the ordering power of the stages of life categories is situated in organisational culture and challenges the implementation of equal and inclusive workplace policies.

Associations between paid and unpaid work among Norwegian seniors: competition, complementarity or continuity?

A key issue in policy debates on active ageing is how to increase older people’s participation in both paid and unpaid work. This combined goal raises the question of whether the different activities compete for seniors’ time and energy or whether it is possible to achieve both, since such activities may instead complement one another. To address this issue, we examine associations between paid work, informal help provision and formal volunteering among 62- to 75-year-olds by using longitudinal data from the Norwegian Life Course, Ageing and Generation Study (2007, 2017). Our analyses show that both work exit and part-time work are associated with a higher probability of doing unpaid work in senior years compared with full-time work. However, previous engagement in unpaid activities matters considerably, regardless of paid work status. Individuals involved in informal help or formal voluntary work in 2007 were far more likely to do unpaid work 10 years later than those who were not involved. Since seniors who are already engaged in unpaid activities before leaving the labour market are likely to continue to provide informal help and volunteer, we argue that initiatives to stimulate combinations of paid and unpaid work in late careers may be advantageous.

Metabolic syndrome incidence in an aging workforce: Occupational differences and the role of health behaviors

This study investigates whether the incidence of metabolic syndrome (MetS), and its components, differs by occupational group among older workers (45-65 years) and whether health behaviors (smoking, leisure-time physical activity, diet quality, and alcohol consumption) can explain these differences. A sample of older workers (N = 34,834) from the North of the Netherlands was investigated. We analyzed data from two comprehensive measurement waves of the Lifelines Cohort Study and Biobank. MetS components were determined by physical measurements, blood markers, medication use, and self-reports. Occupational group and health behaviors were assessed by questionnaires. The association between occupational groups and MetS incidence was examined using logistic regression analysis. Health behaviors were subsequently added to the model to examine whether they can explain differences in MetS incidence between occupational groups. Low skilled white-collar (OR: 1.24; 95 % CI: 1.12, 1.37) and low skilled blue-collar (OR: 1.37; 95 % CI: 1.18, 1.59) workers had a significantly higher MetS incidence risk than high skilled white-collar workers. Similar occupational differences were observed on MetS component level. Combinations of unhealthy behaviors were more prevalent among blue-collar workers. MetS incidence in older workers differs between occupational groups and health behaviors explain a substantial part of these differences. Health promotion tailored to occupational groups may be beneficial specifically among older low skilled blue-collar workers. Research into other factors that contribute to occupational differences is needed as well as studies spanning the entire working life course.

Smart Workplaces for older adults: coping 'ethically' with technology pervasiveness

Pervasive technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality and the Internet of Things, despite their great potential for improved workability and well-being of older workers, entail wide ethical concerns. Aligned with these considerations we emphasize the need to present from the viewpoint of ethics the risks of personalized ICT solutions that aim to remedy health and support the well-being of the ageing population at workplaces. The ethical boundaries of digital technologies are opaque. The main motivation is to cope with the uncertainties of workplaces' digitization and develop an ethics framework, termed SmartFrameWorK, for personalized health support through ICT tools at workplace environments. SmartFrameWorK is built upon a five-dimensional approach of ethics norms: autonomy, privacy, transparency, trustworthiness and accountability to incite trust in digital workplace technologies. A typology underpins these principles and guides the ethical decision-making process with regard to older worker particular needs, context, data type-related risks and digital tools' use throughout their lifecycle. Risk analysis of pervasive technology use and multimodal data collection, highlighted the imperative for ethically aware practices for older workers' activity and behaviour monitoring. The SmartFrameWorK methodology has been applied in a case study to provide evidence that personalized digital services could elicit trust in users through a well-defined framework. Ethics compliance is a dynamic process from participants' engagement to data management. Defining ethical determinants is pivotal towards building trust and reinforcing better workability and well-being in older workers.

Is working in later life good for your health? A systematic review of health outcomes resulting from extended working lives

Background

Work, rather than unemployment, is recognised as being good for health, but there may be an age when the benefits are outweighed by adverse impacts. As countries around the world increase their typical retirement age, the potential effect on population health and health inequalities requires scrutiny.

Methods

We carried out a systematic review of literature published since 2011 from developed countries on the health effects of employment in those over 64 years of age. We completed a narrative synthesis and used harvest plots to map the direction and volume of evidence for the outcomes reported. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) checklist in our methods and reporting.

Results

We identified seventeen relevant studies, which were of cohort or cross-sectional design. The results indicate evidence of beneficial or neutral effects from extended working on overall health status and physical health for many employees, and mixed effects on mental health. The benefits reported however, are most likely to be for males, those working part-time or reducing to part-time, and employees in jobs which are not low quality or low reward.

Conclusions

Extending working life (particularly part time) may have benefits or a neutral effect for some, but adverse effects for others in high demand or low reward jobs. There is the potential for widening health inequalities between those who can choose to reduce their working hours, and those who need to continue working full time for financial reasons. There is a lack of evidence for effects on quality of life, and a dearth of interventions enabling older workers to extend their healthy working life.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-021-11423-2.

Work ability of Thai older Workers in Southern Thailand: a comparison of formal and informal sectors

BACKGROUND

Thai society is becoming an ageing society. Independent older persons need to be able to continue to work after retirement. The Work Ability Index (WAI) is an assessment tool for improving the health and work environment of the older workers. The objective of this study is to explore work ability and its related factors among older workers in formal and informal sectors in southern Thailand.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study with multistage sampling focused on 324 Thai older workers, aged between 45 and 70 years, working in Nakhon Si Thammarat province. Data on sociodemographic status, health history, and work-related factor questionnaires were collected, including anthropometric measures and the WAI instrument between March and September 2019. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were used to examine associations.

RESULTS

The participants were predominantly general labourers (23.8%) and female (70.7%). Nearly half of them had noncommunicable chronic diseases (NCDs) (48.2%) and were obese (more than 60%). Approximately 60% (59.9%) engaged in safe working practices. The participants sometimes received occupational health services (51.9%) and frequently accessed health promotion services (78.1%). There was a significant difference in the total average WAI score of the formal and informal workers: 40.6 (S.D. = 4.6) and 37.5 (S.D. = 5.0), respectively. The multivariate analysis showed that workers aged 55 years and older (adj. OR = 1.45; 95% CI [1.21, 1.74]), those with NCDs (adj. OR = 2.85; 95% CI [1.69, 4.80]), and those who were exposed to unsafe working practices (adj. OR = 2.11; 95% CI [1.26, 3.55]) had a higher risk of a poor to moderate WAI.

CONCLUSIONS

Most of the older workers had good to excellent work ability. Older age and the presence of NCDs were negatively associated with good to excellent work ability. Safe working practices improved older workers' work ability. Integrated occupational health protections and health promotion programmes for older informal workers should be provided by community health services to improve work ability.

Participation in training at older ages: A European perspective on path dependency in life course trajectories

Investments in lifelong learning may create unsatisfactory results, and this could potentially contribute to the reproduction of inequalities. We argue that the process is related to the accumulation of opportunities and barriers for participation in training, which can lock individuals in disadvantageous path-dependent trajectories. We take a longitudinal approach to analyse whether participation in training in older age is path-dependent, and whether this path dependency is related to institutional contexts. Using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), we trace individual training trajectories in the population aged 50+ in twelve European countries between 2010 and 2015 (27 370 respondents). Hierarchical Bayesian logit models serve to assess the probability of training during the sixth wave, with a lagged dependent variable as a predictor. Results suggest that training participation is path-dependent and participation in training is limited for people who have not trained previously. It is also related to macrostructural context: path dependency is lower in countries with stronger knowledge economies, stronger emphasis on education, and a proactive ageing climate. Recognising path dependency can help to improve access to training and design policies that address problems of cohesion, active ageing and adult learning.

Associations between depressive complaints and indicators of labour participation among older Dutch employees: a prospective cohort study

PURPOSE

European policy measures have led to an increased net labour participation of older employees. Yet, via different routes (for instance disability schemes) employees still often leave the labour market early. Mental health may be an important factor hindering labour participation. Aims of this study are twofold: first, to examine the relationship between mental health-particularly depressive complaints-and indicators of labour participation among older employees over a 2-year follow-up period and second, to explore the impact of different work contexts when studying this relation.

METHODS

A subsample of older employees (aged > 45 years; n = 1253) from the Maastricht Cohort Study was studied. Depressive complaints were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale. Logistic and Cox regression analyses covered 2 years of follow-up and were also stratified for relevant work-related factors.

RESULTS

Employees with mild depressive complaints showed statistically significantly higher risks for poor mental workability (HR 2.60, 95% CI 1.14-5.92) and high psychological disengagement levels (HR 2.35, 95% CI 1.21-4.57) over time compared to employees without depressive complaints. Within various work contexts, for instance in which employees perform physically demanding work or have high psychological job demands, significantly stronger associations were found between depressive complaints and poor mental workability over time.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows strong longitudinal associations between depressive complaints and indicators of labour participation, also within different work contexts over time. Results provide valuable input for developing preventive measure aiming to enhance sustainable labour participation of older employees.

Older working adults in the HEAF study are more likely to report loneliness after two years of follow-up if they have negative perceptions of their work quality

BACKGROUND

Loneliness is an important public health issue associated with mortality and morbidity. Often researched amongst older people, less is known about risk factors for loneliness among adults aged 50-64 years who are in work. We investigated (a) if exit from the workforce increases the odds of loneliness; (b) whether adverse psychosocial work factors are associated with increased odds of loneliness over 2 years of follow-up; and (c) whether the association is stronger among subjects still working compared with those who have exited the workforce.

METHODS

Data came from the Health and Employment After Fifty (HEAF) study, a large population cohort who provided questionnaire information about work and health at baseline and 2 annual follow-ups. Logistic regression was used to explore the association between psychosocial risk factors and loneliness at follow-up 2, with adjustment for loneliness at baseline, sex, age, self-rated health, living alone, and mental health diagnosis.

RESULTS

Of the initial 8134 participants, 4521 were working at baseline and provided data for this analysis. Of those, 507 (11.2%) were defined as lonely at 2 years' follow-up. Exiting the workforce was not significantly associated with loneliness (OR = 1.1, 95%CI: 0.7-1.7). However, negative psychosocial work factors predicted loneliness at follow-up. After mutual adjustment, lack of choice at work (OR: 1.5, 95%CI: 1.1-1.9), often lying awake worrying about work (OR: 1.4, 95%CI: 1.0-1.9) and perceived not coping with physical demands of the job (OR: 1.3, 95%CI: 1.0-1.7) were independent predictors, with associations robust to adjustment for demographic factors and health. Associations were only slightly altered when we restricted the sample to those who remained in work until the end of follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Loneliness amongst middle-aged working adults is not predicted by permanent work exit but is predicted by individuals' perceptions about their work. Provision of good-quality work, matched to the capacity of the older worker, could prevent loneliness.

Older Workers with Physically Demanding Jobs and their Cognitive Functioning

Although employment can provide older people with both financial and nonfinancial rewards, it is questionable whether those benefits extend to all older workers, particularly those with physically demanding jobs. This study aimed to examine whether the perceived level of physical demands placed on older workers 55 or older is significantly associated with their cognitive function. Using the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) 2010 wave, we analyzed two domains of cognition: verbal episodic memory and reasoning. After controlling for demographics and risk factors for age-related cognitive deterioration, the perceived level of physical demands placed on older workers was still significantly and negatively linked with both memory and reasoning domains of cognition. Older workers with more physically demanding jobs tended to have poorer cognitive function. Further longitudinal studies are needed to confirm this relationship.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12126-020-09404-8.

The Proactive Shift in Managing an Older Workforce 2009-2017: A Latent Class Analysis of Organizational Policies

Background and Objectives

Longitudinal perspectives on how organizations react to workforce aging are missing in the literature. In this study, we fill this gap and ask how organizations deal with older workers, how their approaches change over time, and in which sectors of the economy and types of organizations the changes were most profound.

Research Design and Methods

Data come from two large-scale employer surveys: 2009 (n = 1,077) and 2017 (n = 1,358), representative for the Netherlands. We use a three-step group-comparison latent class analysis combined with a multinomial logistic model.

Results

We found four clusters of organizations based on their practices regarding older workers—those trying to activate and develop their employees (active), focusing solely on exit measures (exit), implementing a combination of development, accommodating and exit measures (all), and practicing no age management (none). We find a major shift in employers’ approaches to aging workforces between 2009 and 2017, with strong decreases in those that offered no age management (47%–30%) and those focusing on exit measures (21%–6%), and an increase in active organizations (19%–52%). Active age management is no longer concentrated in large and developing organizations, but has become a standard human resources tool economy-wide.

Discussion and Implications

Overall, there is a long-term trend away from exit measures toward the application of proactive age management measures. More involvement of employers in retaining older adults in the workplace may signal a growing awareness of the changing demographic reality.

Associations of sustained smoking and smoking cessation with work-related outcomes: a longitudinal analysis

Purpose

The aim of this study was to assess the association between sustained smoking and quitting with work-related outcomes among older workers.

Methods

We categorized a sample of older employees into non-smokers, sustained smokers and quitters. Multivariable regression models were used to test longitudinal associations of sustained smoking and smoking cessation with sickness absence, productivity loss and work ability.

Results

We included 3612 non-smokers, 673 sustained smokers and 246 quitters. Comparing sustained smokers to non-smokers, we found higher (but not statistically significant) sickness absence for sustained smokers [1.01, 95% confidence interval (CI) − 0.16–2.17]. We did not find differences in productivity loss (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.60–1.13) and work ability (0.05, 95% CI −0.05–0.15). For employees with a relatively high physical health at baseline, comparing quitters to sustained smokers, we found higher (but not statistically significant) productivity loss for quitters (OR 2.23, 95% CI 0.94–5.31), and no difference in sickness absence (0.10, 95% CI − 2.67–2.87), and work ability (− 0.10, 95% CI −  0.36–0.16). For employees with a relatively low physical health at baseline, comparing quitters to sustained smokers, we found a statistically significant lower work ability (− 0.31, 95% CI − 0.57–0.05), and no difference in sickness absence (2.53, 95% CI − 1.29–6.34) and productivity loss (OR 1.26, 95% CI 0.66–2.39).

Conclusions

We found no evidence that sustained smokers have less favorable work-related outcomes than non-smokers or that quitters have more favorable work-related outcomes than sustained smokers. The benefits of smoking cessation for employers might take a longer time to develop.

Leaving and staying with the employer-Changes in work, health, and work ability among older workers

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this prospective study was to examine employer changes among older workers and to relate them to psychosocial work factors, health, and work ability. Four groups of employees as elaborated by Hom et al. (2012) were distinguished: Enthusiastic leavers (EL), reluctant leavers (RL), enthusiastic stayers (ES), and reluctant stayers (RS).

METHODS

Repeated Measures ANOVA analyses were based on data from the second and third waves (2014, 2018) of the German lidA Cohort Study, a representative study of employees born in 1959 or 1965.

RESULTS

The largest proportion of participants was ES (73.3%), 13.2% stayed with their employer although they would have preferred to leave (RS). 7.1% changed employer between 2014 and 2018 voluntarily (EL), 6.4% involuntarily (RL). Analyses confirmed that the four groups already differed in 2014 in terms of health, work ability, and psychosocial work factors and that these outcomes change in different characteristic patterns over time. Most outcomes improved substantially following the change among EL. RS already reported poor outcomes in 2014 and exhibited a further deterioration while staying at the undesired workplace.

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate that an employer change is followed by improvements of work, health, and work ability. We conclude that an inclusive labor market policy for older workers allowing for high job mobility may have the potential to contribute to considerable improvements of workers' individual working conditions, health, and work ability, thereby increasing the work participation. Also, the considerable group of RL requires increased political and scientific attention.

Older Workers in the Time of COVID-19: The Senior Community Service Employment Program and Implications for Social Work

It has long been the goal of many gerontological social work scholars to increase the ability and opportunity for people to be engaged in paid and unpaid work throughout the life course. Yet the COVID-19 pandemic is revealing and exacerbating the financial insecurity of many older adults. In this paper, we review information related to older workers and how they might be affected by this pandemic and its aftermath, paying particular attention to the most socioeconomically and physically vulnerable older workers. We also offer first-hand experiences from our careers working with and conducting scholarship on older workers, paying particular attention to recent actions by many in the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) network to provide paid sick leave to its low-income, older adult participants. We conclude with implications for social work scholarship and teaching, noting the uptick in technology use among older adults and the disparities that remain, as well as teaching that integrates discussions on the lifelong and cumulative effects of inequalities and marginalization and the need for additional researcher, student, and community collaborations.

Development and Validation of a Workplace Age-Friendliness Measure

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Measuring the extent to which the culture of organizations can be considered age-friendly is a significant anchor in the constructive inclusion process of older workers in workplaces, given the consistent aging of the workforce. Hence, the purpose of this research was to develop a novel, comprehensive, and theoretically driven measure of workplace age-friendliness.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Three multiphased, multisourced studies were conducted: a qualitative assessment procedure and 2 separate quantitative field surveys of individual-level perceptions.

RESULTS

A 24-item scale of workplace age-friendliness was developed, consisting of 4 dimensions that represent the different ways in which organizational culture aligns with an aging and older workforce: age-friendly core culture, development, wellness, and flexibility. Confirmatory factor analysis verified that a 4-factor structure is the most appropriate solution, with all dimensions having acceptable internal consistency. Preliminary evidence of construct validity is also presented.

DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS

The measure developed in this study may serve researchers as well as practitioners in the field of aging and work. Further implications and limitations of using this instrument in future empirical study on workplace age-friendliness are discussed.

A sustainable working life for all ages - The swAge-model

BACKGROUND

Due to the demographic challenge in most countries it is important to consider making work life sustainable. A sustainable work life is of importance in all age groups when working life will be extended to a higher age.

AIM

Towards a theoretical model with an impact on a sustainable working life for all ages, the swAge - model.

METHOD

The theoretical model, the swAge-model, is developed based on grounded theory using qualitative studies, quantitative studies, intervention projects and literature reviews.

RESULT

The swAge-model states the interactions between different ageing concepts; chronological, mental, biological and social ageing, and the nine areas of importance for individuals' work life participation. The model also states the four consideration areas whether individuals can and want to participate in an extended working life or not. The model also includes proposed measures at the organisation/enterprise level and at the society level based on the four activity areas at the individual level.

CONCLUSION

The theoretical swAge-model describes how to reflect on working life and presents tools to extend work life in a sustainable way for older workers in modern society. The swAge-models' analysis and measure matrix is included as appendix 1. In the Nordic countries the theoretical model is use in the critical debate and as a tool for managers and authorities to make the working life sustainable for all ages.

Perception versus Official Data: Employers' Knowledge about the Aging Workforce

The current study compared employers' perceptions and knowledge about older workers to official data, as well as employers' views of the ideal situation regarding older workers, to assess potential gaps. A questionnaire answered by a sample of 373 employers was used to examine possible gaps between employers' perceptions, views, and official statistical data regarding older workers. Statistical significance (T-Test) analyses suggested that gaps do exist, in issues like labor force participation rate, health status, and women's retirement age, which may explain obstacles faced by older workers. Logistic regression models revealed the effect of personal and organizational characteristics on employers' preferences regarding the ideal labor force participation rate of older workers, and the ideal retirement age according to their preference. Educational measures and policies aimed at increasing employers' awareness to the official data regarding the aging workforce should be tailored to specific organizations, sectors, and employers' characteristics.

Older Workers on the COVID-19-Frontlines without Paid Sick Leave

The rapid spread of COVID-19 has left many workers around the world - workers in food distribution, truckers, janitors, and home and personal health care workers - deeply concerned about contracting the virus from exposure at work. In particular, older workers in frontline occupations are vulnerable to illness and to the deadly and debilitating effects of COVID-19, especially with inadequate protective gear and inadequate sick leave. In the absence of strong unions, which ensure that employers provide workers with accurate information, robust training, adequate equipment, and paid leave in the event of quarantines or illness, the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the need for additional legislation to shore up worker protections and provide paid sick leave.

Do young people prefer older psychotherapists?

In times of demographic change, psychotherapists tend to stay longer in their jobs. Against the background of two contradictory age stereotypes (wise/generous versus senile/outdated old person), this analogue study investigates young adults' preference for old over young psychotherapists, depending on presenting problem. In a within-subjects design, therapy-motivated young female participants (N = 79) received two kinds of hypothetical presenting problems, 'universal problems' (addressing fundamental questions of life virulent across the adult life span) and 'young problems' (life events that are developmentally close to and specific for young adulthood in today's world). For each presenting problem, participants were presented with two naturalistic photographs of an old (55 + years) and a young (< 35 years) female psychotherapist; in a two-alternative forced choice decision task, participants were then asked to decide whom of the two psychotherapists they would prefer. Participants had neither an overall preference for old nor for young psychotherapists. As expected, we found a preference for old psychotherapists in case of 'universal problems' (friend's death, natural disaster, quarreling with one's past). In turn, a preference for young psychotherapists was observed in case of 'young problems' (cyberbullying, paternalizing parents, lovesickness). Effect size was medium-to-large. Organizations that provide services to younger people may want to inquire about a patient's preference about age of a therapist prior to treatment. As catering to patient's preferences for therapy has been shown to lead to better engagement and therapy outcomes, health care providers should try to meet the patient's needs.

Revisiting vulnerability: Comparing young and adult workers' safety voice intentions under different supervisory conditions

In this study, we test the widely held belief that young workers (aged 15-24) are less likely than adults (aged 25 and over) to speak up about safety concerns. Counter to this belief, and in line with age-related resource selectivity theory, we hypothesized that older workers would actually be less likely than younger workers to speak up about workplace safety concerns ("safety voice intentions") when their supervisors are unclear about their own commitment to safety. To test this, we created two realistic scenarios in which we manipulated clarity of supervisor commitment to safety: (1) it is clear the supervisor clearly cares about/is open to hearing suggestions about safety (the "clear commitment" condition) and (2) it is unclear whether the supervisor cares about/is open to hearing suggestions about safety (the "unclear commitment" condition). We randomly assigned participants (N = 80; 58 % women; 40 % over the age of 24) to one of the two scenarios and measured their safety voice intentions. In the face of clear supervisor commitment to safety, younger and adult workers did not differ on their safety voice intentions. However, compared to younger workers, adult workers were less likely to speak up about safety in the face of unclear signals about the supervisor's commitment to safety. These findings have implications for our understanding of young and adult worker safety voice, and the importance of how supervisors signal commitment to safety.

Conceptualizing Age-Friendliness in Workplaces: Proposing a New Multidimensional Model

Creating age-friendly workplace environments is considered a central organizational approach for addressing the challenges of supporting an aging and older workforce. However, there are no concrete definitions or theoretical frameworks that explain the full meaning, assumptions, and basic processes of this concept. This article critically reviews the conceptualizations of the age-friendly workplace in the fields of organizational psychology and gerontology, and proposes (a) a new working definition of the concept, and (b) a multidimensional model that consists of a typology of age-friendly dimensions, representing the implications of human resource policies and practices that demonstrate the ways in which organizational climate and organizational culture support aging workers. This framework enables a better understanding of the organizational-occupational realities within an aging and older labor market, and thus serves as an effective foundation upon which future organizational measurements can be constructed.

Health and transitions into nonemployment and early retirement among older workers in Canada

Extending working lives is considered a viable solution to fiscal and macroeconomic challenges related to population ageing. Opportunities for sustained employment, however, are not experienced equally among older population, particularly among those with a health problem. This study aims to examine the longer-term effect of health on employment trajectories in later part of working life using a unique survey-administrative linked dataset for Canada. Specifically, we apply competing-risks models to analyze whether different aspects of health conditions at baseline predict subsequent exit routes, including nonemployment and early retirement. The nonparametric findings of the paper show that only about 33% of workers aged 50-62 with a health problem at baseline remained employed at age 64, compared to 55% of healthy workers. Exiting into nonemployment seemed more common among leavers with activity limitations, while early retirement was more likely among healthy leavers. These results are robust even when individuals' preferences for work and financial factors were controlled for. Moreover, we identify differential impacts of specific chronic diseases on early work exit. Not all symptoms affect employment transitions to a similar extent. Older workers who reported the comorbidity of mental and musculoskeletal disorders faced an increased risk of nonemployment, while the presence of diabetes and cardiovascular problems at baseline were more predictive of early retirement.

Trends in working conditions and health across three cohorts of older workers in 1993, 2003 and 2013: a cross-sequential study

Background

Over the past decades, the number of older workers has increased tremendously. This study examines trends from 1993 to 2013 in physical, cognitive and psychological functioning among three successive cohorts of Dutch older workers. The contribution of the changes in physical and psychosocial work demands and psychosocial work resources to change in functioning is examined. Insight in health of the older working population, and in potential explanatory variables, is relevant in order to reach sustainable employability.

Methods

Data from three cohorts (observations in 1993, 2003 and 2013) of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA) were used. Individuals aged 55–65 with a paid job were included (N = 1307). Physical functioning was measured using the Timed Chair Stand Test, cognitive functioning by a Coding Task and psychological functioning by the positive affect scale from the CES-D. Working conditions were deduced from a general population job exposure matrix. Linear and logistic regression analyses were performed.

Results

From 1993 to 2013, time needed to perform the Timed Chair Stand Test increased with 1.3 s (95%CI = 0.89–1.71), to a mean of 11.5 s. Coding Task scores increased with 1.7 points (95%CI = 0.81–2.59), to a mean of 31 points. The proportion of workers with low positive affect increased non-significantly from 15 to 20% (p = 0.088). Only the improvement in cognitive functioning was associated with the change in working conditions. The observed decrease of physically demanding jobs and increase of jobs with higher psychosocial resources explained 8% of the improvement.

Conclusions

Changes in working conditions may not contribute to improved physical and psychological functioning, but do contribute to improved cognitive functioning to some extent. Further adjustment of physical work demands and psychosocial work resources may help to reach sustainable employability of older workers.

What We Need to Know About Retirement: Pressing Issues for the Coming Decade

The current landscape of retirement is changing dramatically as population aging becomes increasingly visible. This review of pressing retirement issues advocates research on (a) changing meanings of retirement, (b) impact of technology, (c) the role of housing in retirement, (d) human resource strategies, (e) adjustment to changing retirement policies, (f) the pension industry, and (g) the role of ethnic diversity in retirement.

Need for recovery and different types of early labour force exit: a prospective cohort study among older workers

PURPOSE

This study examines the relationship between need for recovery (NFR) and labour force exit (LFE) among older workers. Different types of LFE (early retirement, work disability and unemployment) are considered, and the role of potential confounding and modifying factors, including the availability of early LFE schemes, is examined. Also, associations between NFR and the intention and ability to prolong one's working life, which are known determinants of LFE, are assessed.

METHODS

A subsample of older workers from the Maastricht Cohort Study was examined (n = 2312). The relationship between NFR and LFE was investigated by means of Cox regression analyses. Logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate cross-sectional associations between NFR and the intention and ability to prolong working life.

RESULTS

Elevated NFR was associated with a higher risk of overall LFE during a 4-year follow-up period (HR 1.39, 95% CI 1.09-1.78), and specifically with a higher risk of leaving the labour force through early retirement and work disability. When early retirement schemes were available, strong and significant associations between NFR and LFE were observed (HR 2.79, 95% CI 1.29-6.02), whereas no significant associations were found when such schemes were unavailable. Older workers with a higher NFR also had earlier retirement intentions and lower self-assessed abilities (both physical and mental) to prolong their working life until the mandatory retirement age.

CONCLUSIONS

Because this study shows that NFR is a precursor of LFE among older workers, monitoring NFR is important for timely interventions aimed at reducing NFR to facilitate extended labour participation.

Job requirement level, work demands, and health: a prospective study among older workers

Purpose

Persons in lower occupational positions experience higher rates of morbidity compared to workers in higher advantaged positions. Working conditions may explain this occupational health gradient. Most studies consider either psychosocial or physical work demands at one point in time. In our study, we examine both physical and psychosocial work demands and their association with health status differentiated by job requirement level. We further distinguish between constant and changing work demands.

Methods

Using data from the first two waves of the German cohort study on work, age and health, we analyse a sample of 3644 older workers born in 1959 and 1965. We test direct and mediating effects of high physical and psychosocial work demands on functional physical and mental health. For this, we estimate a prospective path model using multiple linear regression models.

Results

Our results show that (1) constant high physical and psychosocial work demands affect physical and mental health negatively and (2) high physical workload partly mediates the relationship between job requirement level and physical health. Moreover, at least for men, a reduction of physical and psychosocial workload improves mental health status.

Conclusions

Research and prevention measures currently focus particularly on psychosocial work demands. Our study shows that high physical workload is still present among older workers. Its negative health effect refers to occupational safety and health measures that take into account both the physical and psychosocial work environment as well as workers’ occupational positions.

Role of age and health in perceptions of returning to work: a qualitative study

Background

People aged over 50 years form a growing proportion of the working age population, but are at increased risk of unemployment compared to other age groups. It is often difficult to return to work after unemployment, particularly for those with health issues. In this paper, we explored the perceptions, attitudes, and experiences of returning to work after a period of unemployment (hereafter RTW) barriers among unemployed adults aged over 50 years.

Method

In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with a diverse sample of 26 unemployed individuals aged 50–64 years who were engaged with the UK Government’s Work Programme. Data were thematically analysed.

Results

Age alone was not discussed by participants as a barrier to work; rather their discussions of barriers to work focused on the ways in which age influenced other issues in their lives. For participants reporting chronic health conditions, or disabilities, there was a concern about being unfit to return to their previous employment area, and therefore having to “start again” in a new career, with associated concerns about their health status and managing their treatment burden. Some participants also reported experiencing either direct or indirect ageism (including related to their health status or need to access healthcare) when looking for work. Other issues facing older people included wider socio-political changes, such as the increased pension age, were felt to be unfair in many ways and contradicted existing expectations of social roles (such as acting as a carer for other family members).

Conclusion

Over-50s experienced multiple and interacting issues, at both the individual and societal level, that created RTW barriers. There is a need for employability interventions that focus on supporting the over-50s who have fallen out of the labour market to take a holistic approach, working across healthcare, employability and the local labour market, providing treatment and skills training for both those out of work and for employers, in order to create an intervention that that helps achieve RTW and its associated health benefit.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-019-6819-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Trajectories of Perceived Workplace Age Discrimination and Long-Term Associations With Mental, Self-Rated, and Occupational Health

OBJECTIVE

This study addresses older employees' trajectories of perceived workplace age discrimination, and the long-term associations among perceived age discrimination and older workers' mental and self-rated health, job satisfaction, and likelihood of working past retirement age. We evaluate the strength and vulnerability integration (SAVI) model.

METHOD

Three waves of data from employed participants were drawn from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 3,957). Latent growth modeling was used to assess relationships between the slopes and the intercepts of the variables, thereby assessing longitudinal and cross-sectional associations.

RESULTS

Perceived workplace age discrimination tends to increase with age, although notable variance exists. The initial status of perceived age discrimination relates to the baseline statuses of depression, self-rated health, job satisfaction, and likelihood of working past retirement age in the expected directions. Over time, perceived age discrimination predicts lower job satisfaction and self-rated health, as well as elevated depressive symptoms, but not likelihood of working past retirement age.

DISCUSSION

This study provides empirical support for the SAVI model and uncovers the "wear and tear" effects of perceived workplace age discrimination on older workers' mental and overall health. We deliberate on social policies that may reduce age discrimination, thereby promoting older employees' health and ability to work longer.

Biased media? How news content influences age discrimination claims

Information distributed via the news media is acknowledged as a potential source of negative beliefs about, and biased behaviors toward, older workers. Focusing on the Netherlands, the current study explains age discrimination claims filed by older workers by investigating the impact of visibility and media stereotypes of older workers in the news media, while controlling for real-world events and older workers’ expectations of unemployment (2004–2014). The results, based on time-series analysis, reveal that the visibility of older workers in the news media is associated with higher levels of age discrimination claims. This effect can be partly explained with the visibility of the negative media stereotype that older workers experience health problems in the content of news coverage. Furthermore, unemployment expectations decreased the number of age discrimination claims. These results offer support for the notion that the news environment is a source of variation in the experience of age discrimination at the workplace.

Inequalities in employment rates among older men and women in Canada, Denmark, Sweden and the UK

Background

In most developed countries, governments are implementing policies encouraging older persons to work past 65 years to reduce the burden on societies related to disability benefits and pension payments. Despite this push to extend working lives, we know little about who already works past this age and any inequalities that may exist. Our study investigates the employment rates of those aged 65–75 years of age by educational level, health status and sex in Canada (CAN), Denmark (DK), Sweden (SE) and the United Kingdom (UK). Secondly, we aim to relate findings on employment rates to prevailing policies in the different countries, to increase the understanding on how to further extend working lives.

Methods

We used nationally representative cross-sectional survey data from the 2012–2013 Canadian Community Health Survey, 2013/14 Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe for Denmark and Sweden and the 2013 English Longitudinal Study of Ageing to examine employment rates for those aged 65–75 years by sex, educational level and health status (having limiting longstanding illness (LLI) or not).

Results

Employment rates decline by age, but we see a linear decline in CAN and the UK compared to an initial decline then a plateau of employment rates from 66 to 68 years in DK and SE. Employment rates among persons aged 65–75 years were lower in the UK than in CAN, DK and SE. Among women, employment rates were highest in SE. Women with low education and a LLI had considerably lower employment rates than men with low education and a LLI (employment rates for men ranged from 27% to 12% compared with employment rates for women which ranged from 12% to 0%).

Conclusions

Our results suggest that educational level, sex and health all play a role in extending working lives. The variation in employment rates between the four countries implies that policies do matter, but that social differentials show that policies cannot be ‘one size fits all’. Policy-makers must consider different groups (i.e. low-educated women with a LLI) when designing policies to extend working lives.

Employer Policy and Practice Toward Older Workers in Hong Kong: The Role of Shifting Intergenerational Dynamics

Many governments are seeking to encourage the extension of working lives to counteract potential labor market shortages that might result from population aging. Nevertheless, research shows that older workers continue to face a range of barriers to their labor market participation. However, this research has not tended to take a holistic view of the factors shaping employer policy and practice or acknowledge that older workers' experiences are embedded within broader social structures and age dynamics. This article reports on exploratory qualitative research undertaken in Hong Kong. It demonstrates how employer policy and practice toward older workers are shaped by intergenerational dynamics and by the social responsibility that employers feel toward different generations. It is argued that in order to more fully understand employer policy and practice toward older workers, an approach that acknowledges the social context and position of different age groups is required.

Factors associated with the prevalence of sarcopenia and frailty syndrome in elderly university workers

BACKGROUND

Frailty and sarcopenia are highly prevalent, as a part of geriatric syndrome, among elderly individuals. However, little is known about how these syndromes can affect elderly individuals who continue to work.

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the prevalence of sarcopenia and frailty, and their individual and occupational factors among elderly individuals.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included elderly individuals working in a public university in Brazil, who were classified according to their sarcopenia and frailty profiles. They answered a structured questionnaire comprising potential explanatory variables: individual sociodemographic factors, work related factors, and health behaviors. Additionally, they performed a physical performance test. Multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios and respective 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). All analyses were conducted using the Stata 13.0 software, considering a significance of 5%.

RESULTS

Respectively, 55.8% and 6.3% of the elderly participants were classified in the Sarcopenia and Severe Sarcopenia groups. Frailty prevalence was 9.4%, with 62.5% classified as Pre-frail. Sarcopenia prevalence was significantly higher among men, and among those living with a partner, with a university degree, exhibiting poor lower limb function, and with multiple work demands. Frailty prevalence was significantly higher among women, and among those living without a partner, having a low educational level, with less work experience, working in an unhealthy/dangerous environment, and whose job was predominantly physical.

CONCLUSION

This study identified different potential trigger factors for the development of sarcopenia and frailty. These findings confirm that individual and work factors could explain the incidence of sarcopenia and frailty syndrome.

Attitudes About Working Beyond Normal Retirement Age: The Role of Mandatory Retirement

The Dutch government abolished mandatory retirement for national-level civil servants in 2008, but not for employees in other sectors. This study analyzes whether national-level civil servants have different attitudes and plans about working beyond normal retirement age than employees in other sectors. Results show no clear differences between the groups. A national ban on mandatory retirement would presumably not lead to many more older workers continuing to work beyond normal retirement, but would need to be integrated in a much broader policy reform that also addresses employment protection legislation and seniority-based wages.

Employers' Adjustment to Longer Working Lives

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The aging of the workforce and the trend toward longer working lives has substantial implications, not only for employees, but also for employers. The aim of this study is to quantitatively investigate the extent to which employers have implemented human resource (HR) practices in adjustment to longer working lives. We distinguish between information practices, health practices, and person-job fit practices.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Data from 1,296 Dutch employers, collected in 2017, are used to study the ways in which employers have adjusted their HR practices. We estimate a structural equation model to identify predictors of implementing adjustment measures.

RESULTS

Employers have largely started to adjust their HR practices to make longer working lives more attainable. Especially larger organizations are highly active in using HR practices to enhance the long-term employment perspectives for their employees. Employers who are concerned about the mental fitness of their workforce in relation to longer working lives are especially likely to invest in information and health adjustment practices. Organizations with a high proportion of older workers are mostly focused on providing information.

DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS

The HR practices that are implemented by employers to facilitate longer working lives are different from those traditionally associated with an older workforce, implying a fundamental shift in employers' focus. Instead of promoting the exit of older workers and accommodating older workers specifically, employers are now moving toward providing information, promoting healthy habits, and improving long-term person-job fit, also targeting early- and mid-career workers.

Understanding work enjoyment among older workers: The significance of flexible work options and age discrimination in the workplace

Although the number of older workers in the U.S. is increasing, there is a gap in knowledge on whether or not they actually enjoy working. This study, based on a conceptual framework focusing on job resources and demands, explored likely workplace determinants of work enjoyment among older workers aged 50 or over. Using the 2012 wave of the Health and Retirement Study, a partial proportional odds model was used to detect determinants of work enjoyment. Results showed that higher levels of work enjoyment were significantly and negatively associated with the level of perceived retirement pressure and promotion preference for younger workers, and positively associated with moving to less demanding positions. Self-employment showed a noticeable enhancement of work enjoyment. This study highlights the significance of flexible work options and age discrimination in the workplace in understanding work enjoyment later in life.

Gender differences in paid employment after retirement : Psychosocial working conditions and well-being

BACKGROUND

An increasing number of persons continue to work after retirement age. This decision is often different between men and women as well as working histories, sectors and hierarchical positions; however, whether gender differences in working conditions and occupational well-being also exist in paid employment after retirement (PEAR) has not yet been investigated.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to examine gender differences in working conditions and well-being of workers in PEAR.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

In this study 784 employees (23.5% female) aged 65 years and older who were contracted by a Dutch temporary employment agency, participated in the baseline survey in 2011. Furthermore, a panel of 228 employees (25.9% female) participated again during a second wave in 2012. Job demands, job control, emotional exhaustion and job engagement were assessed at both time points by validated self-reporting measures.

RESULTS

Female employees worked fewer years in paid employment before 65 years of age, were more likely to be single, divorced or widowed, had a smaller income and worked less hours during PEAR than men. In the baseline analysis, females reported less job control and higher job stress than men. No gender differences were found on emotional exhaustion, engagement or job demands. Over the study period emotional exhaustion only increased in females. The longitudinal trend of job demands, control and engagement did not significantly differ between both sexes.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that working conditions of PEAR are less favorable for women than for men. Furthermore, the longitudinal trend of emotional exhaustion seems to be more disadvantageous for women.