New work models and tools to promote work and health of elderly employees

Versión en Español

In the next years a lot of countries are going to have the oldest work force in their history. Demographic evidence presents a scenario of an increasing ageing population in Western Europe against a background of fewer young people available to enter the labour market. The active participation in work-life is a primary requisite to ensure well-being. On the other hand, low respect for ageing workers has been shown as a recognizable trend in recent years. But elderly employees should be an inalienable part of the personnel resources of the companies. Therefore it is very important to know how employees assess their working conditions and their own work ability. The aim of this study involved in an European Project "RESPECT" is the promotion of health, work ability as well as satisfaction of ageing employees.To ask a wide range of subjects, the main investigation method should be a paper and pencil pilot based on different cross-section analyses in various companies and branches of Germany. 

To investigate the working conditions for elderly employees it was necessary to create specific tools according to the different company levels. A questionnaire was developed regarding the process- and work system level as well as the individual level. This comprehensive questionnaire includes different parts due to the work ability, the technique, organization and ergonomics related aspects, the job satisfaction, the description of personality and the performance motivation. The WAI (work ability) is used for evaluating work capacity. The questionnaire is taking into consideration the physical and mental demands of work as well as the employees health state and mental resources. The BASA is measuring technique, organization and ergonomics related aspects. The job satisfaction will be measured by means of nine items of the Neuberger´s questionnaire.

The findings of the "paper and pencil" -pilots suggest that elderly workers are often impaired in work ability. A higher age is related to lower flexibility, goal orientation and work ability. The job satisfaction was positively related to work ability, load capacity, goal orientation and team orientation. A good work ability index was positively related to organisational and ergonomic conditions as well as to load capacity, goal orientation and flexibility.

Based on these results new vocational training schemes were developed in order to improve the relationship between ageing and learning. Differences in age groups, mental processing, and psychophysiological changes when ageing will lead to new reflections on trainings and their didactics. These should help the trainers of elderly people to know about the specification in didactics and learning methods and the elderly people itself when they can use these trainings structured in a better way. Therefore the reintegration into the work and lifelong learning should be supported. The development of new work models for  better integration of elderly employees and the effectiveness of vocational training and further education have become the focus on today’s policies. The social and vocational integration and reintegration of elderly people as well as the development of a lifelong learning strategies will be key issues.

Professor Rentzsch will be present on the Third International Conference on Occupational Risk Prevention. For further information, please visit the conference's website: http://ww.orp2004.com