This article lays out advances in research that Eurofound is being carried out on different areas (statistics, institutional, political, business practices) that affect older workers, and in particular on strategies to promote their retention or reintegration into the labour market. For reasons of limitation of space, the article is not extended on the situation in Spain, and emphasizes other experiences at european level. The preliminary finding is that, beyond the sustainability of pension systems, the promotion of employment opportunities for an ageing labour force requires a new approach to the enterprise level, sectoral, national and the eu and, in particular, the effective implementation of the existing legislation prohibiting discrimination on grounds of age.

Keywords: An ageing work force, older workers, sustainable work, working conditions.

The Working Paper in this article can be found at: Keeping older workers engaged: Policies, practices and mechanisms

Romania

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The Eu has been stressing the important consequences of the demographic challenge for the economy, the world of work and society itself. In this context, the european social partners signed in 2017 the Autonomous Framework Agreement on active ageing and intergenerational approach sets objectives are to improve and expand the participation of older people in the labour force. In turn, the joint employment report (Joint Employment Report) of the european commission 2022 he emphasized that, in the second quarter of 2023 the employment rate of working group 55 and 64 years in the eu 27 it was 63 , 8 per cent, while reached 70 , 5 % for group between 15 and 64 years. The report stresses that, although the rate of employment for older workers increased from 59 , 1 % 2019 to 59 , 6 % 2020 during the pandemic of COVID- 19 their working hours decreased significantly. Another european initiative in the long term, the european pillar of social rights, provides a framework to support member states to face new challenges such as the ageing population of working age, while promoting equity and solidarity between generations, emphasizing the right to a work environment adapted to the professional needs, health and the balance between professional and private life of workers and facilitate their continued participation in the labour market.

There are structural factors which discourage the population of over (re) joining the labour market and may even lead to an early exit of the same before the age of retirement. On the contrary, there are factors that makes it attractive to older people will continue working, extend their working lives both to the legal age of retirement or even beyond this. It should be noted that certain factors may play the two functions at the same time.

Composition of households and family obligations

Within demographic factors, grounds and family obligations play an important role in the decision of older workers who leave prematurely the labour market. There is a significant disparity between households headed by men and women with regard to the continuity of employment after retirement of the head of family or household. when a woman who acts as head of household who retires the 50 per cent of men continue to work, while only 28 per cent of women continue to call on the contrary, that is, when male breadwinners who retires. The lack of accessible public services was considered to be a factor that contributes to early retirement, in particular for persons in need of care for children or family members. This role as caregivers of care is carried out chiefly by women.

Education and skills

The relationship between the educational level and the level of qualifications is complex, both factors influence the participation of the labour force and the decisions of the retirement of older workers. In several member states, older workers with higher education levels tend to prolong their participation in the labour market, in contrast to those with lower educational levels. In addition, several studies show that older workers often demonstrate greater resource abundance interpersonal skills in comparison with their younger counterparts. According to surveys by Eurofound, employers valued the experience, reliability and independence of older workers compared with the youngest. However, other studies show the perception that older workers have lower levels of productivity, creativity, health, ability to learn, skills in ict and openness to new ideas and cultures.

Health

The labour market is increasingly characterized by activities and occupations not requiring physical strength or resistance, which affects the health of workers, among other factors. In comparison with previous generations, older workers currently enjoy, generally, better health, having led healthier lives than their predecessors, which also leads to a longer working life.

The health factor is the decisive factor in the likelihood of opt for early retirement. Instead, the people who choose to continue to work beyond the statutory pensionable age generally enjoy better health that opting for retirement or early retirement. Several studies underline the unlikelihood that people with poor health conditions continue to work, to return to work or prolong its decision to retire. Aranki and Maccharelli ( 2013 ) indicate that the probability of opt for early retirement for persons with poor health is 2 . 4 times higher than persons without health problems. According To another study, nearly 30 per cent of the 50 and 64 years in western europe need immediate adaptations in the workplace because of health problems.

Working conditions and part-time work

A company that provides support, the sense of the importance of life and get a response to their needs are items that increase the likelihood of older workers remain in their jobs and prolong their working life. An investigation of Eurofound ( 2017 ) to explore the interconnection between health and working conditions in different age groups supports these findings, and should be noted that adverse working environments lead to the opposite effect to adversely affect the health, welfare and the balance between professional and private life. This research shows that the accumulation of physical and psychosocial problems at work is associated with early retirement by disease. In Spain, recent analysis concludes that the poor working conditions, covering aspects both physical and psychological, also constitute a major factor for early retirement.

Moreover, the available data suggest that flexible working and part-time offer significant benefits to the ageing labour force, in addition to prolonging working life and to better conserve health. However, these opportunities for part-time work are generally not available in many member states, as is the case of spain, whose labour market has a low rate of recruitment of this kind.

Discrimination of older workers

The situation is different in Sweden

With the aim to combat discrimination in recruitment and selection of candidates, the parliament of The Netherlands has adopted 2023 a bill on equal opportunities in employment. The new legislation stipulates that companies with 25 or more employees must specify in writing the measures taken to ensure equal opportunities. when the recruitment and selection will be conducted through a third party, is obliged employers to ensure that practices prevent discrimination. In the case of private employment, this obligation applies regardless of the number of employees.

Digitization and new technologies

Telecommuting and hybrid work

Practices in the field of human resources management

The policies and practices of human resources management in the workplace can have a major impact on the participation of older workers. It has identified the tendency of enterprises to adopt measures or initiatives identified, instead of opting for a more comprehensive approach to plan strategically the structure of the workforce in the medium term.

Strategies to enhance the participation of older workers in the labour market that have been developed over recent years are two interconnected approaches. The first includes initiatives to encourage and promote the continuation and participation in the working population, while the second is directed to discourage and punish the premature departure of the labour market. Both strategies are connected with the reforms of pension systems that are taking place in the eu member states over recent decades and who have had as main objective to ensure the sustainability of public systems through the gradual increase in the legal age of retirement and to reduce the gap between the actual retirement age and legal advice - criminalizing retirement and motivating delay retirement – as well as attempts to equate the retirement age for men and women. In some cases, the increase in the legal age of retirement is explicitly linked to developments in life expectancy. The assessment on the impact of reforms is still limited.

Increase in the retirement age.

An important aspect of the amendments to the pension systems in many member states involves the progressive lifting of the legal age of retirement. With this objective, have been carried out several reforms of pension systems in eu countries over recent decades. During the initial stages of this reform process, the attention focused on discouraging early exit of labour system. This meant an increase in economic criminalization retirement pension and the limited access to early retirement through various channels, such as restrictions on the use of the so-called “ transitional ” benefits. These measures probably contributed to greater participation of older workers in the labour market, exceeding the impact of the gradual increase in the legal retirement age.

In many countries are being considered for shorter periods of ordinary retirement age in various professional activities that are particularly arduous or dangerous and high rates of morbidity or mortality. For example, in Spain in the mining or railway workers, artists, fire brigade, members of the state security forces and law enforcement personnel.

Recently, the government of Irelandhas adopted a bill to 2024 designed to enable workers to remain in office until the legal age of retirement. Although this in kosovo 66 years, a large number of companies currently specified in their contracts of employment a mandatory retirement age of 65 years. The text adopted by the government stipulates that an employer may not introduce a clause to set a mandatory retirement age lower than the legal age without the agreement of the worker. The new legislation will, but will not force, an employee to work up to the 66 years. However, the text maintains exceptions, especially if the company can justify objectively "the retirement age", as in the case of professions physically demanding or criticisms to public safety. The employment bill responds to the recommendations of the report of october 2021 by the commission of Pensions of the irish parliament to ensure the sustainability of the pension system to change.

Encourage the delay in retirement benefits

In recent years, the emphasis on the reforms has shifted to the provision of financial incentives to delay the retirement and towards greater flexibility to combine the pension to the maintenance of employment. Although, overall, these changes have been welcomed by employers and some trade unions, the latter criticize their impact on people who are demanding professions or dangerous, or those that joined the labour force at an early age.

Many member states, including Austria, Croatia, denmark, Estonia, finland and Malta have fostered, measures aimed at delaying retirement, either by increasing the legal age or through schemes to older workers to accumulate additional benefits to their pension or improve their amounts if they remain in the labour market beyond the legal retirement age. In the latter case, in some countries there is a flexibility that allows the combination of receiving pensions partial or total and maintaining employment. The effectiveness of these policies has shown varying degrees of success.

The scheme called "pensión-corredor" in Austria allows workers to retire within a range (or “ corridor ”) between 62 - 68 years. For entitlement to pension is necessary to have worked a minimum of 480 months. Accumulate additional benefits to work beyond the 65 years. However, the data of the institute of Social security show that more affiliations to Social security from 66 years it has remained stable.

In Malta, workers who choose to work beyond the 61 years without asking for a pension can accumulate additional benefits from 2016 From 2018 pensions will be adjusted to take into account national insurance contributions paid between 61 and 64 years for those who do not take early retirement.

Other examples include the reform of the law on pensions in Croatiato introduce an increase in annual bonus to work beyond the legal age of retirement ( 5 , 4 per cent for one year and 27 per cent over a period of five years). Denmarkthe "Seniorpraemie" was introduced in 2019 as an incentive for older workers continue to work after the legal age of retirement and include the possibility of obtaining a tax-free payment of approximately 6 . 000 euros after one year, and other 3 . 000 euros after two years of work beyond the legal retirement age. The following year, the social partners in Finlandnegotiated pension reform aimed at increasing the retirement age and allowed to accumulate additional retirement benefits working beyond the legal age of retirement. Also in the nordic countries, people who decide to retire after the legal age of retirement (currently 65 years) in Swedenyou can earn additional pension benefits (ranging from + 6 per cent per month after the first year and + 43 % after 5 years). The taxation of income is also reduced pension if retirement is taking place after the 67 years.

Estoniaintroduced in 2021 flexible pensions which penalize retirement while rewarded the delay of retirement beyond the legal retirement age.

In Spain, the last two major legislative reforms on pensions have been aimed, inter alia, encourage older workers to continue to work. The Law 27 / 2011 expects a gradual increase in the age of retirement and offers workers the opportunity to continue receiving pension benefits if you choose to work beyond the legal age of retirement. Moreover, the law 21 / 2021 modifies the early voluntary retirement and sets forth a number of incentives to extend working life beyond the legal age of retirement. An agreement between the ministry for the inclusion, Social security and migration and trade unions CCOO, UGT and in march 2023 has led to the Royal Decree Law 2 / 2023 , which introduces important changes in the General law on Social security to enhance the rights of pensioners.

Flexible access to the pension and the partial pension

The recent adjustments to pension systems have also been focusing on facilitating access to the gradual retirement, while establishes the option of accumulating, simultaneously with the pension, income from employment. The gradual reduction of working hours or a change to a part time job in recent years of working life provides workers with greater flexibility to reduce its caseload, while maintaining the template in enterprises. This approach helps to retain workers who might otherwise leave the labour market owing to factors such as health problems or personal choices and lifestyles.

In combination with the legal framework that favours these options, sectoral collective bargaining plays an important role in reducing working hours before the statutory pensionable age. Austria- sectoral collective agreements or corporate event reflected this sort of agreement, with two models: option blocked and model part-time. The first allows full-time work for several years, followed by a way out of the labour market which requires the engagement of a worker, although recent reforms tend to decrease their appeal, calling for workers 15 years or longer during the past 25 years in order to receive the pension. In the model part-time workers may reduce their working day to 40 - 60 per cent of the time agreed in collective agreement, making up public employment service on the 50 per cent of the remuneration, left no impact on the provision of post. A similar scheme is adopted in several sectors retrenched in GermanyAlso at the collective agreement of the construction sector ( 2021 - 2024 ) in Denmarka worker, you can reach an agreement with your company that provides for not only provide an additional holiday, but also a reduction of working time in the years prior to retirement.

Sharing the same purpose, the collective agreement for insurance, reinsurance and mutual insurance system Spainpriority is given to older workers to apply specific shifts (for example, exclusion from night shifts). Other conventions at the enterprise allows for workers over 55 years request a reduction of working time, with a proportional reduction in working hours in sectoral conventions. Francealso provide for a gradual reduction of working time for older workers in the years before retirement, for example, in Orange or the Mutuelle Nationale Terrritoriale, where salaries are reduced proportionally, but the pension and social security contributions are full-time. In the area of assistance, the convention provides that employers are required to submit annually a "Index, reflecting greater" indicators related to the retention and recruitment of older workers. From the 55 years ago, the workers with at least 15 years of age can benefit from a reduction of their workday 80 the paid per cent, 90 per cent of salary. Also provides that employees 50 years of age who have worked at night for at least 12 years in the company or in the sector in general are exempted from work on night shifts, but benefit from retain half of the premium paid for night work of the past 12 months.

InSwedenpension, the so-called part-time or in some conventions flexible offer the opportunity to reduce working hours when an employee meets 60 or 62 years. In Slovenia, the collective agreement of the construction sector, since 2016 enables employers to offer a fixed-term contract workers aged, to fulfil the requirements to receive a retirement, for the time to give form to another employee.

InBelgiumthe regulations on work rest "" entered in the years 90 , allows workers to further reduce their working hours between 50 - 80 per cent of the full-time basis, with a reduction in wages. Collective agreements specifying the conditions for the implementation, as well as of grants paid by the federal government.

A Factor of employability and advanced policies

Programmes to improve the employability and skills of older workers are very common in almost all the member states. The training, lifelong learning and skills upgrading are performances widespread, as well as incentives to improve education levels and systems to recognize, certify and/or validate the career and professional experience. Generally, training for older workers will become active labour market policies for older workers unemployed, those considered at risk of losing their jobs and as part of the regular supply of improved qualifications throughout life. In some cases, these measures are financed with european funds (ESF) and public, but can also be financed by the employer, for example, as a result of collective agreements and the implementation of training programmes in the company.

In Spain there are various initiatives in this direction, both sectoral and enterprise levels, aimed at improving the employability of older workers. These initiatives include professional development opportunities adapted to older workers and measures of health and safety at work focused on ensuring the physical and psychological welfare of these workers, for example, efforts to adapt the physical condition of the jobs to the needs required or actions aimed at improving the intergenerational communication in the workplace.

Digital Skills for 55 +, offered by the centre of productivity older workers 55 years; the programme DIG-AGE + Italy

InPortugal Spainan increased level of support to the recruitment of women over 45 years in sectors where they are underrepresented.

France

Several countries have practices that contribute to the return to work after a long-term illness or attempt to prevent it. Austriathe plan fit, 2 work 40 of 2011 offers a free consulting service – and even voluntary treatment of individual cases - for those employees with risk of losing their jobs due to poor health or for people who have difficulty finding employment for the same cause. Although the programme is open to all ages and is not explicitly to older workers, most users - both individual and unemployed workers - is among the older age groups. Germany, 25 years, companies can opt to grants for integration into the labour market during 36 months of persons with disabilities or long-term unemployed over 50 years.Denmarkpursuing a policy called “ process of clarifying the job ” launched in 2014 focused and older workers who are on sick leave and no longer have the right to receive the income. Through custom assessments are an attempt to determine the most effective way that the employee return to employment through measures such as training, coaching or other programmes aimed at improving the mental and physical well-being. Alternatively, it assesses whether there is a need for early retirement. On A smaller scale, Finlandlaunched a regional project since 2021 up 2023 for helping the unemployed over 50 years to enter the labour market after long-term illnesses, including the motivation and improvement of their labour skills physical, mental and social affairs.

In general, in spain a limited number of government efforts to provide specifically for return to work after a long-term illness. A recent programme of aid to purchase includes several lines of aid programmes to promote the readmission of workers over 55 years after having left the company by total permanent disability, or absolute permanent disability, or for admission to the same company (or in another company). Another example is located in the autonomous community of Madrid where the regional government has developed a protocol of action aimed at smes Madrid to facilitate the work placement of workers affected by low by long-term illness. For its part, the union UGT has produced a report entitled “ audiovisual labour Reintegration after long-term low ” project to raise awareness of the associated problems and open a public and political debate on this subject. Companies providing external services of prevention have developed various documents on this subject, including guides of good practices for smes aimed at facilitating the temporary adaptation to the work of a worker after a period of incapacity (see, for example, active Mutual 2018 ).

Increasing employment rates and extend working life, as well as an ageing population contributes to the financing of social welfare and protection systems. These two objectives require re-think and act on working conditions and career paths to "will help the workers to maintain their physical and mental health, their motivation and productivity over a prolonged life" (Eurofound 2015 , 2019 , 2021 ). The work, the way in which it is working on the labour record should be sustainable over a lifetime, and public policies and private practices should contribute to that end from every Area of responsibility.

The policies at national or regional level is concentrated in the pension system and the labour market, increasing the legal age of retirement, early school leaving penalizing the labour market or enhancing longer working careers through flexible retirement or to improve the rights of older workers. Another objective is to improve employability and skills through support to the qualification, incentives and the financing or focusing on the digital skills of older workers.

Although all these measures contribute in different ways to increase employment among older workers, lack of systematic evaluations of the strategies and programmes to help establish best practices and a hierarchy of policies with impact at member state level.

The results of the research in eu countries reveal a persistence in practice on age discrimination in access to and permanence in the labour edadismo contradicts the existing legislation at european and national level, and demands a response policies to ensure equal treatment for older workers.

There are different measures that can be implemented to achieve this goal: awareness-raising campaigns to create positive dynamics with regard to the age in enterprises; promoting good practices in the template management with a variety of age; to review the recruitment practices and adjust the selection of hr departments; or taking into account the age structure for the adoption of technological changes or digital, caring for the design of training programmes and the different forms of learning.

To promote sustainability in the work and maintain both physical and mental wellbeing of workers over careers ever longer, innovative solutions are needed to act on the conditions of work, the entire professional career, the required skills and training, motivation to remain in work and impact on productivity.

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