Nordic Council of Ministers. The impact of the working environment on work retention of older workers

Transcription

1 Nordic Council of Ministers The impact of the working environment on work retention of older workers Aim to synthesize and discus the current knowledge in Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden Otto Melchior Poulsen

2 The authors Denmark: Otto Melchior Poulsen (project leader) Iceland: Kristinn Tómasson, Johann Fridrik Fridriksson Norway: Anne Inga Hilsen, Ingrid Sivesind Mehlum, Tove Midtsundstad Sweden: Maria Albin, Kerstin Nilsson

3 The problem Due to demographic changes a still smaller fraction of the population will be active on the labour market. This smaller fraction is expected to sustain and support an increasing fraction of the population being pensioners. This development will put a tremendous pressure on the Nordic welfare systems, and there is a huge political interest in increasing the labour supply e.g. by prolonging the work life for older workers

4 Average effective age of retirement Average effective age of retirement Men Average effective age of retirement Women Denmark 63.0 years 60.6 years Finland 61.9 Years 62.3 years Iceland 69.4 years 68.0 years Norway 65.2 years 64.3 years Sweden 65.2 years 64.2 years OECD Average effective age of retirement versus the normal retirement age,

5 Nilsson 2016

6 Nilsson 2016

7 Two important perspectives The vulnerable older worker perspective Limited resources (attrition, poor health, poor competences) Strong social inequality Causal similarities exist between transition to state pension, voluntary early retirement, disability pension, long-term sickness absence, and unemployment The resourceful older worker perspective Excellent health Higher education, many competences

8 The relative importance of the working environment for disability retirement High physical work demands could explain 21 % of men's and 34 % of women's transition to disability pension in Denmark Two psychosocial factors at work influence and variation each could explain % of transition to disability pension in Denmark Five psychosocial and eight mechanical (ergonomic) risks at work could explain about 45 % of transition to disability pension in Norway In Norway, physical and psychosocial work factors could explain 25 % of the social inequality in disability retirement

9 The relative importance of the working environment for long-term sickness absence Physical work demands could explain %, and psychosocial work factors could explain 29 % of long-term sickness absence in Denmark Physical and psychosocial work factors could explain % of the social inequality in longterm sickness absence among men and % among women in Norway

10 The relative importance of the working environment for voluntary early retirement The attributable fraction has not been estimated Many risk factors exist in the working environment We believe the working environment to be important in health related transition to voluntary early retirement (the vulnerable older workers)

11 Working environment and early retirement Well documented risk factors in all Nordic countries-1 Occupational accidents Whole body vibrations High physical work demands Physical strenuous work/ need for recovery Heavy lifting Monotonous work Work with hands lifted Work standing for long periods Quantitative work demands (work speed and time pressure)

12 Working environment and early retirement Well documented risk factors in all Nordic countries-2 Job control/autonomy Job satisfaction Leadership support Conflicts at work Bullying/harassment Age discrimination

13 Working envorinment and early retirement Moderately documented risk factors in Nordic countries Possibility for competence development

14 Working environment and early retirement Limited documented risk factors in Nordic countries Chemical exposures Loud noise Shift work/night work Colleague/fellowship support Organisational commitment Fear of organizational changes

15 The working environment of older workers in the Nordic countries Data from national working environment surveys: Denmark 2014: Iceland 2012 and 2015: Norway 2009: Sweden 2007 and 2009: years years years years For many working environment factors, comparison is feasible particularly between Denmark, Norway and Sweden

16 The working environment of older workers in the Nordic Countries Occupational accidents: DK >> N;; I (S missing) Vibrations: DK;; S > N Loud noise: DK;; S > N High work speed: DK;; N > I (S missing)

17 The working environment of older workers in the Nordic Countries Hand lifted above shoulders: S;; DK >> N Monotonous movements: N > S > DK Danish older blue collar women experience the work more strenuous than older blue collar women in Norway and Sweden Danish blue collar women experience the work more strenuous than blue collar men the opposite is the case in Norway and Sweden

18 The working environment of older workers in the Nordic Countries Work harassment (bullying): DK > S >> N Violence or threats: S > DK > N Control/influence: S > DK > N Support from nearest leader: N > I > S > DK

19 The working environment of older workers in the Nordic Countries Conclusion: For most of the comparable risk factors the working environment in Denmark and Sweden is poorer than in Norway, but Norwegian older workers have less control and influence over the work Danish older blue collar women experience the work more strenuous than older blue collar women in Norway and Sweden Danish older blue collar women experience work more physically demanding than older blue collar men the opposite is the case in Norway and Sweden

20 Effect of workplace policies and interventions to retain older workers In Denmark and Norway, less than half of the workplaces claim to have a policy for retention of older workers - In Sweden, most workplaces do not have any senior policy The activities comprised of flexible work-hours, reduced weekly work-hours, more days on leave/holiday, and to a lesser extend reduced work demands or improved ergonomics The interventions have only been evaluated in a few (Norwegian) studies, which in general found some, but limited effects on retirement behaviour for the age group 62 and 63

21 Effect of workplace policies and interventions to retain older workers Knowledge is sparse on effects of workplace interventions to improve working environment on retention of older workers Great potential in prevention of working environment risk factors (e.g. risk factors for accidents, strenuous work/high physical work demands, insufficient recovery between work shifts, quantitative work demands, conflicts at work and bullying/harassment, and age discrimination) in combination with increment of job satisfaction through increased control/influence, possibilities for development and recognition from management

22 Age discrimination Several studies show that age discrimination is a strong risk factor for early retirement Age discrimination is the unjust or prejudicial treatment of people on the grounds of age and occurs when people in the ageing workforce (e.g. 55+ years) as a group are attributed negative characteristics Age discrimination has been prohibited in all Nordic countries since

23 Age discrimination Occurs in all Nordic countries In Norway, 4 5 % of older persons (age 50+) state that they have themselves been subject to age discrimination I Denmark, 6 % of older persons (age 50+) have been subject to age discrimination, which places Denmark above the average of EU27 (Barslund 2015)

24 Age discrimination Positive stereotyping Negative stereotyping Life experience and professional knowledge High quality consciousness High ability to self-management Large professional network Stable (fewer job changes and less sickness absence days) and high responsibility Slow learning of new working areas Opposed to competence development and new technologies Less flexible and less ready to change Physically weaker and slower Often tired and exhausted Problems with keeping up the work pace High maturity, empathy and social understanding Good ability to cooperate Carriers of corporate culture Modified from Jensen (Chapter 4 in Andersen & Jensen 2011) Opposed to social contact More expensive (particularly in seniority-based salary systems)

25 Eurobarometer 2015: Age discrimination Fraction of adult Europeans, who consider the following to be a major disadvantage when applying for a new job: Age above 55 years - 56 % Appearance - 52 % Skin colour/foreign ethnicity - 46 % A visible disability - 46 %

26 Major knowledge gabs A sustainable work-life balance for all: Older low-educated women in jobs with physical high demands Older immigrant workers Older workers with debilitating chronic diseases R2P Long-term consequences of an extended work-life: Cumulative exposure to occupational hazards Effects of transitions between different unemployment, sickness absence, social security aids, and retirement.

27 Major knowledge gabs The dynamic retirement process Gradual adaptation to changes in work ability and attitudes to work or retirement over time The workplace perspective Why do some workplaces but not all - decide to recruit and/or retain older workers? Who are offered the senior retention interventions, and why? Small and medium size enterprises

28 Major knowledge gabs Combating age discrimination: Change cultural perceptions of older workers in society and at workplaces Change negative attitudes and behaviours at the workplaces Combating stigmatization: Tension or collaboration between age groups