Healthy ageing? The opportunities and challenges of an older workforce

The International Longevity Centre-UK is an independent, non-partisan think-tank
dedicated to addressing issues of longevity, ageing and population change.
Healthy ageing?
The opportunities and
challenges of an older
workforce
David Sinclair, Director, International
Longevity Centre – UK @ilcuk
@sinclairda

ILC-UK Planning Tomorrow, Today
 think tank
 evidence based
 policy focussed
 balanced
 independent
 respected
 experts
 networked
 international

Who do we work with?

Our focus is broad

We have worked extensively on “older workers and
health”

Summary
Why do we need to work longer?
What is the current situation for older workers?
Challenges to overcome (focussing on health)
Is it getting worse – are we killing with kindness?
How can we engage older workers
What should you do?

Why do we need to work longer?

We are living longer

And as a result, the world is ageing

But how much longer will we live?
Aubrey de Grey: human life
expectancy at birth in
2100 will be 5000 years.
“I think the first person to
live to 1,000 might be 60
already”
Steve Jones: "In
ancient times, half our
children would have
died by the age of 20.
Now, in the western
world, 98% survive to
age of 21. Our life
expectancy is now so
good that eliminating
all accidents and
infectious diseases
would only raise it by
two years. Natural
selection no longer has
death as a handy tool."

Are we changing?
“It is blindingly obvious that there is enormous difference
between the seniors of yesteryear and people of the
same age today.”
Saga 2008
We have a wealthy cohort (on average) (and there are
more of them)
Recent retirees “are more strongly defined by the
impact of consumer society on their lives and
expectations of post work life than previous
generations”

Or are we in denial of ageing?
“They have fewer ties to family responsibilities...
With their homes paid for their major housing
concern is for property taxes and repairs... Being
essentially free from obligation, they may spend
their income and assets as they wish. Here is a
potential market, therefore for those marketers
who wish to appeal to it. It is a new market,
almost unrecognised which must be developed
with care as it depends upon the changing role of
older persons in our society and the realisation
that they are more free than their predecessors
in the past century.”
Dodge,
1962

Let’s not assume older people are all the same

More of us expect to work longer
A 2010 survey of 7,500 citizens in ten European countries
found an expectation among 55% of respondents that
working lives would extend beyond current national
‘retirement ages’.
But we still don’t like the idea of higher “retirement ages” ‘a
2012 Eurobarometer survey showed most Europeans (60%)
reject the need for higher retirement ages.

And we will need the money
Adapted from
Aon 2010
State Pension Age
has increased
(and/or become
less generous).
Unless we extend
working lives
there are
significant risks of
future pensioner
poverty

Future generations wont be able to rely on DB
pensions
Men in employment in the
50s are more likely to still be
employed in their 60s if they
have a DC rather than DB
pension (ELSA)

Governments are beginning to link SPA to longevity
In Sweden, pension entitlements are adjusted on
the basis of expected life expectancy at the time of
retirement.
The Greek government has created an automatic
adjustment mechanism that will kick-in in 2020 and
will incrementally increase the statutory retirement
age in line with increases in average life expectancy.
The UK is exploring how to link pension age to life
expectancy.

Fewer workers
The number of working age adults across Europe has begun
to decline across the EU-28. Despite the recession, some
sectors of the European economy already suffer from skills
shortages.
There are 13.5 million UK job vacancies, which need to be
filled over the next ten years, but only seven million young
people are projected to leave school and college over that
time.
A report published by the Dutch Ministry of Interior and
Kingdom Relations has suggested that by 2020 ‘there will
be gaps of 30% or more in the employment pool for
teachers and policemen, and even higher gaps for nurses’.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yooperann/86
84179741/sizes/m/in/photolist-eeoG5V-
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aJDtZF-8XMw7e-8x61Sr-asR8ab-84RcrD/

Projected Old-Age Dependency Ratio, 2010-2060

Migration won’t solve the problem
The EU will receive over 60 million net
migrants over the next 50 years (yearly
average of around 0.2% of the EU
population).
Although inward migration could play a
part in reducing dependency ratios, the
EU would require a far higher level of net
migration to maintain the current
dependency ratio (an additional 11 million
migrants by 2020).

And migration within the EU is creating significant
problems for some member states
With over a million Bulgarians currently choosing to live and work
abroad Bulgaria is increasingly suffering from an exodus of
people of working age. Eurostat estimates that in 2060 Bulgaria’s
old-age dependency ratio will hit 60% – and at that stage it will be
the fifth highest in Europe. This problem is being confounded by a
low-birth rate and by poor public health – the latter of which is
prompting people to withdraw from the labour market prematurely.
The Bulgarian government has expressed its desire to take
action to promote economic activity amongst older workers and
tackle this worrying trend towards a reliance on an increasingly
small working-age population

The cost of ageing
Across the EU, age-related spending is
projected to rise from an annual cost of 25% to
29.1% of GDP between 2010 and 2060.

Europe’s Economy needs older workers
 Older workers are likely to play an important
part in delivering future EU economic growth
 The lump of labour fallacy has been debunked
“States with the highest employment rates
for older workers also have some of the
lowest youth unemployment rates.’
 A high percentage of people aged 25-49 across
Europe are in employment (78% in 2010), and
there is not significant variation across the EU
(between 70% in Spain and 85% in Sweden). http://www.flickr.com/photos/wobblin/93110984/sizes/m/in/photolist-
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5AdZMc-5BStWT-5QYtPA-5R3Qve-5RUEc2-5WwEZ7-69cPMM-6cCG5h-
6nzjkK-6oLoJ3-6tE2Zp-6tE2Zt-6tE2Zz-6Azi8D-6Azj1X-6C6Jc3/

Older people will contribute to economic growth
The base case
Average annual GDP growth rates under different
assumptions for migration and 65+ employment

Increasing output with more older workers
• Relatively small year on year changes to the 65+ employment rate and
rates of migration can make a significant difference to overall levels of
ouput – particularly towards the end of the forecast period.
• Assuming population grows in line with ONS’s high migration variant
and the employment rate amongst the 65+ cohort rises in line with the
20 year trend, output can be 12% higher in 2037 than in a low
migration, zero 65+ employment growth scenario.
• Assuming base levels of labour productivity growth, this equates to a
boost in output of £322bn in 2037 and £3.3 trillion over the entire
forecast period relative to the low migration, zero 65+ employment
growth scenario.

A retirement, not an ageing problem

What is the current situation for older workers?

Historically we used to work much longer
Between 1881 and 2008
the economic activity rates
of UK men aged 65+ fell
from 74 per cent to 10 per
cent. Now, the majority of
people can expect to live
for at least twenty years in
retirement.
US evidence

When do people “retire”?

It’s all Bismarck’s fault
 Until Otto von Bismarck’s
government providing the first state
pension in Germany in the 1880s,
people generally worked until death.
 However, ill-health often prohibited
work in the final years of life, leading
to a reliance on younger relatives for
support; and the wealthiest members
of society obviously felt the
compulsion to continue working far
less (Meadows, 2003: 34).

Labour Force Participation rates by gender for people
aged 55-64 in 2012

Participation is up
Across the EU,
the Labour
market
participation
of older
workers is up
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mike_miley/9329810305/sizes/m/in/photolist-fdrHyn-8xz3FR-9vnwcd-
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e1BsW4-e1H7Hm-e1BsZz-e1H8Tb-e1BtvD-e1H7NL-e1H835-e1H7US-e1BtJB-7TYQKq-a5s36p-cAsDzu-
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Changes in Labour Force Participation of Males aged
55-64, 2002-2012

Changes in Labour Force Participation of Females
aged 55-64, 2002-2012

Economic activity rates among 50-64 year olds

Change in number of jobs relative to 2007

Percentage of men aged 55-64 in employment in 2002
and 2012

Percentage of Women Aged 55-64 in Employment in
2002 and 2012

But it is not time for complacency
 Across Europe, just under one in three of those
aged 60-64 are in employment
 Just 13% of Hungarians aged 60-64 were in work
in 2010 compared to over 60% of Swedes.
 There are still countries where fewer than 40%
of people aged 55-64 are in employment
(Slovenia, Malta, Greece, Croatia, Hungary,
Belgium and Poland in 2012).
 In one third of Member States, no more than
one out of ﬁve workers (60-64) is employed.’
 Over the period 2002-2008, the average age of
labour market withdrawal among the EU-28 had
only increased by an estimated 1.3 years, from
60.1 to 61.4
http://www.flickr.com/photos/heartindustry/3539408126/sizes/z/in/photolist-6oLoJ3-
6t2ZRY-6tE2Zp-6tE2Zt-6tE2Zz-6yNN61-6zee36-6zg5kx-6zGKop-6Azi8D-6Azj1X-6C6Jc3-
6DfPU7-6F7Z4y-6HsjYN-6KxdVN-6PMdG9-6RTF24-6RTVSj-74t2G7-757chN-76mWJ9-
77X5Vp-78orde-79ZZG9-7bpyf9-7cLdny-7hJf7s-7jwENJ-7kTpsU-7kY2Ku-7pri8t-7psPSN-
7qZWHT-7rtx6Z-7tB2Lw-7uskh2-7wghjp-7wghNr-7wghQF-7wk6Jj-9WDMaM-89dsU1-
7TYQKU-dBf26o-84k1CX-eeoG5V-eYkq5p-eYkrkr-eYkt5c-eYkqER/

Male and female unemployment rates (50-64)

Unemployment rate of men aged 55-64 in 2002 and
2012

Unemployment rate of women aged 55-64 in 2002
and 2012

Long-term unemployed (12+months) as % of total
unemployment for people aged 55-64 in 2012

Portugal, Spain, Cyprus, Greece, and Ireland,
the countries arguably hardest hit due to the
economic crises, have seen falls in the
employment rates of men aged 55-64.
But these countries are not alone; of the 28
Member States just seven - Malta, Austria,
Germany, Poland, Bulgaria, Finland and
Slovakia – have seen unemployment fall
between 2002 and 2012 for men aged 55-64,
with Slovakia witnessing the largest fall in
unemployment.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9908376@N07/4373407902/sizes/m
/in/photolist-7EsRNw-8RJjdB-bxWpLx-etxshm-7Ucs5f-7LijWT-
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e14cTm-9qrePP-8tQSxH-8y4MwB-8y8Crf-9qR8sV-7LAAaq-9KQC44/

Half of 55-64 year olds across Europe are not in work

Who “does” older workers well?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/85169589@N00/1027343397/in/photolist-2yMppc-5ohnBt-d5C9Dq-
7VXeAX-8Dopm9-8DokGs-8DkdhV-8DnzoQ-8DnF1s-8DnHQ3-cNNv2d-9H5AuG-7J8a4d-8Doqsm-8DjHSg-
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8Dkaht-8DovfQ-8Dkosi-8Dka1T-8DotJq-8DohRm-8DomR1-8DoidN-8Doe4f-8Dk822-8DoiQE-8DohzC-
8DjMVF-8DnRwo-8DnSCj-8DjPY2-8DjuKB-8DjCTr-8DnDVG-8DnBPy-8DjNKZ-8DjLXc-8DjtF4-8DnAxy
Over 80% of men and 70% of
women aged 55-64 in Sweden
are part of the labour force.
Fewer than one in five women
aged 55-64 in Malta are in
work.

When would Tintin retire?
The Labour Force
Participation of Belgians
aged 55-64 is under
50%
In 1929 Tintin was 14-
17
He would now be
between 97 and 100
He would (probably)
have retired a long time
ago
http://www.flickr.com/photos/97043691@N05/8975822752/in/p
hotolist-eFaroG-eFaq4q-aFk3ge-8jb8T7-9Kbhqj-axt3E4-ffpKZe-
aeNV3z-aiBjFu-bBFoCG-dKZ9MJ-aoT3vQ-dvGbsV-aFjAC4-ax3hHd-
9Hhp4B-9yPKVt-9taEdN-8fLk2L-7XVGwS-aH2rRk-b15Ffc-eu3XGm-
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a3oAeU-a3oBqh-dpDmWX-ex8UnK-8swDeC-cARkbu-8QdyRs-
ayQUvK-axqX7E-7H8VNP-7H8bMg-7Hc7VG-7Hc8vW-7H8WeF-
auFs3Z-7ZN6ig-8gGkU5-9xQ22w-bcC9rx-9Cpaxt-a3k2jx

Since the 1970s..
1970s-90s: Long-term falls in the participation
of older workers continues due to
unemployment; public and private pension
schemes incentivising early retirement; and
the provision of relatively generous pension
schemes and social security.
1995-2007: The long-term falls in employment
of older people across Europe begin to reverse
as incentives to retire early are reduced.
Post 2007: The growth in the participation of
older workers across Europe continues despite
the recession. However, unemployment
amongst older people increases.

Challenges to overcome
The role for employers

Challenges to overcome
 Achieving gender equality
 Skilling up the older workforce
 Matching the demand and supply of older
workers
 Tackling ageism
 Recognising the diversity of the working
experience
 Improving health

Achieving gender equality
In every EU Member State, the life expectancy of women is higher than
that of men, by 5.9 years on average.
Yet despite living longer across the EU, women participate less in the
labour market and retire earlier.

Gender difference in employment rates of people
aged 55-64, 2012

Pension equalisation
Increasing the employment rates of older women is important in the
context of the move towards gender equalisation of pension ages across
Europe.
In 2009 13 Member States had lower pensionable ages for women
than for men.
By 2020, 18 will have equalised pension ages.
Five further Member States have long-term plans to equalise pension
ages, and just four have no legislation in place to do this.

Are things changing?
In the UK, 30 years ago women’s work was mainly low-
skilled manual work. Now those women working in
their 50s are working at similar levels - if not pay - as
men.
There is a significant gender divide in Malta. While
74.6% of males in the 55-59 age group are in
employment, the figure shrinks to 22.5% for women.
The main reason for this withdrawal from the
workforce (generally and also specifically for women)
is not due to retirement but a culture in which families
are the main care units for the old, young, or disabled.

Skilling up the older workforce
The current cohort of older
workers in Europe have low
levels of education and
qualifications compared to
younger groups, and are more
likely to have worked in
agriculture and production
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vancouverislanduniversity/7030135879/sizes/m/in/p
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9sWF5C-bqSX4Z-8L8bJY-bHefuX-asYrni-8pHJLM-bVbsTU-egmkn9-d9aUVJ-bxEvP5-
bxEvrf-bLzdct/

In Poland, 350 universities have registered to become
Third Age Universities as part of a scheme designed to
promote more flexible learning for older people. The
Polish programme 45/50 PLUS provides on-the-job and
vocational training for older people to help them return to
the job market.
In order to increase the education and training
opportunities, the German government intends to
introduce greater flexibility to working time and open up
more sabbaticals for its older workforce.
The Estonia Unemployment Insurance Fund (EUIF) has
therefore invested in mentoring and counselling schemes
for older workers.

Matching demand and supply in the labour market
 Is Europe’s economy
creating the right jobs to
meet the needs and
wishes of the supply of
older workers
 A need for a focus on
demand. More part time
work opportunities? http://www.flickr.com/photos/viskadourakis/3468991141/sizes/
m/in/photostream/

Tackling ageism
A survey of employers from five European countries in 2010 found large
numbers of employers opposed to the idea of employees working even
past 60, let alone 65
Kelly Services reported that ageism was a bigger issue than gender
discrimination in Hungary.
In Romania, ‘the labour market and its actors are still relatively less
positive to older workers’.
Employers in Greece tend to view age as an inhibitor to productivity,
rather than seeing the benefits that experience and knowledge can
bring.
Despite ageism being a particular challenge in Estonia, there are at
present few if any efforts made to create an age-friendly culture
amongst employers and the general population.

Recognising the diversity of the working experience
 Older workers across Europe are
more likely than other ages to be
self employed, on open-ended
contracts, or working part-time.
 We need to better understand the
informal economy in relation to
older workers?

Health and working longer
 However young we may feel, our health is very likely to
deteriorate eventually, with advancing age’. Metz, D &
Underwood, M (2005)
 The image of an old age of frailty and dependence is
certainly not one most older people are experiencing and
partly because ‘the onset of serious deterioration
typically occurs quite late in life’. Metz, D & Underwood,
M (2005)

We might be spending longer in ill health
 In the postwar period life expectancy has increased
significantly. But retirement ages have not increased in
line with this change.
 However, even though a greater proportion of
retirement is now spent in ill-health, we experience many
more years of good health in absolute terms
 Healthy life expectancy has not increased at the same
rate as life expectancy (Mayhew, 2009).

There are significant health/life expectancy
inequalities
Jubilee Line Map

Poor health pulls us out of the workforce
 Good health enables people to stay in work for longer.
 Researchers are virtually unanimous on the notion that
ill-health leads to earlier retirement.
 In a study for DWP in 2003, Alan Humphrey et al
surveyed 2800 people aged 50-69. Of those not in work,
half said it was due to ill-health.
 But, a hot topic for research.

But the picture is complex
 However, ill-health clearly does not impact upon the
retirement decisions of all social groups in equal
measure.
 Humphrey et al’s study, those not in work due to ill
health were predominantly male and less educated, and
more likely to be single. (NB- health factors are usually
self-reported so may not be reliable)

We find it more difficult to manage as we age

Eyesight, hearing and age
Both men’s and women’s eyesight declines sharply beyond
the age of 65, but women report failing eyesight in greater
numbers. There is also a comparable increase in reported
hearing difficulties with rising age, although in this case it is
men rather than women who are more likely to experience
hearing problems (Darnton, 2006)
But (1) average decline (2) we can adapt – workplaces/
glasses/ assistive technology.

Physical strength and age
On average, men in the over-50s age group have less
strength than the under – 35s but that men are stronger
than women for any given age range.
‘For both age groups the variation between individuals is
substantial and the differences within a [age] group are
larger than the differences in average strength between
the two groups.’ Metz, D & Underwood, M (2005)

Mental health
In the UK, currently there are over 800,000 people with
dementia and this is set to rise to over 1 million people by
2025 and 1.7 million by 2051. One in three people who
survive to 65 will end their life with a form of dementia.

Some aspects of mental performance might improve?
In some cases, part of our mental performance may
actually improve with age. Metz notes that whilst some
aspects of mental performance peak at a younger age,
others continue to develop throughout our adult lives.
Metz, D & Underwood, M (2005)

Age might not be as important as other factors
 Genetic and gender factors can be more important
than age in terms of both physical and sensory loss.
 In terms of both mental and physical health there is
growing research which supports the hypothesis that
deterioration can be significantly slowed down by
older people themselves if they remain mentally and
physically active. (Metz 2005)

Sleep (SOMNIA project)
 Around half of older respondents to survey were
clinically poor sleepers.
 The proportion of those who sleep very badly increases
with age, BUT once other variables were included in the
model there were no age affects. In other words, a
poorer sleep experience is not a factor of age alone, even
if we are more likely to experience poor sleep as we age.
 The most significant factor influencing insomnia is that of
health.
 Individuals with four or more health problems were
found to be three times more likely to experience sleep
problems.

 Participants with Cancer were found to be three times
more likely to report a high PSQI score.
 Those living with Musculoskeletal problems (mainly
arthritis) were two times more likely to be living with
poor sleep.
 And people living with high blood pressure and diabetes
were also more likely to report poorer sleep.
Women reporting poorer sleep then men, even when
controlling for other factors.
Poor sleep tends to impact on the carers as well as the
individual, a fact most carers will identify with.

Depression
 Leaving work (or fear of leaving work) can be a cause
 Depression affects 1 in 5 older people living in the
community and 2 in 5 living in care homes. (Adults In
Later Life with Mental Health Problems, Mental Health
Foundation quoting Psychiatry in the Elderly, 3rd
edition, Oxford University Press, 2002)

Depression
 “23% of those aged 85 and over had
levels of depressive symptoms
indicative of clinical relevance”
 “Almost 13% of men and women aged
80 and over had high levels of
depressive symptoms in 2008-09 but
not in 2002-03” (IFS, 2010) ELSA http://www.flickr.com/photos/junglearctic/3002
442666/sizes/m/in/photostream/

Does growing old increase the risk for depression?
“Healthy, normally functioning older
adults are at no greater risk for
depression than younger adults. What
seem to be age-related effects on
depression are attributable to physical
health problems and related disability.”
Roberts et al
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/
9326820

Or
A higher proportion of women than men reported that
they suffered from anxiety or depression, with the highest
indication of anxiety or depression occurring in the 50-54
age group. (ONS 2013)

Sickness absence and age
Sickness absence has fallen
for all age groups since
1993, but has fallen least for
those aged 65 and over
(ONS 2014)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/regus-
media/5839014005/sizes/m/in/photostream/

Number of days1 lost through sickness absence by reason2, 2009 to 2013, UK
millions
Reason given for sickness Total days lost by reason
2013 2012 2011 2010 2009
Musculoskeletal problems3
30.6 33.3 35.1 38.4 38.2
Minor illnesses 27.4 25.6 27.4 36.2 42.9
Other4,5
21.7 21.7 18.5 15.4 19.4
Stress, depression, anxiety 15.2 14.4 13.3 11.8 12.3
Gastrointestinal problems 8.7 8.9 10.3 10.9 7.3
Respiratory conditions 5.3 4.5 5.3 7.8 7.2
Eye/ear/nose/mouth/dental problems 5.2 4.1 3.8 2.6 4.4
Heart, blood pressure, circulation problems 5.0 5.7 4.5 2.9 2.7
Genito-urinary problems 3.2 4.1 5.0 3.2 2.3
Headaches and migraines 1.7 1.4 1.6 3.4 4.4
Serious mental health problems 1.0 1.1 0.7 0.7 0.5
Prefers not to give details 5.9 8.8 5.8 4.0 4.5
Total 131 134 131 137 146
Source: Labour
Force Survey
person datasets6

It’s complicated
Presence of chronic disease was reported more
frequently with increasing age. The 55+ age group had
almost two times less chance of frequent sick leave, but
1.6 times more chance of prolonged sick leave than the
<36 age group (Dutch study, 2012, BMJ)
More research needed.

Flu and age

Shingles can pull people out of work
But do you
vaccinate staff?

Menopause – almost never discussed
“For most women it happens between the ages of 45 and 55
Hot flushes, palpitations, night sweats and sleep
disturbance, fatigue, poor concentration, irritability, mood
disturbance, skin irritation and dryness.
Overall, this period of hormonal change and associated
symptoms can last from four to eight years
These can affect how a woman does her work and
her relationship with her colleagues.” (UNISON)

What does this all mean for employee productivity
and age
But studies of
supervisors' ratings
show no clear
correlation between
age and perceived
productivity
(Economist June 2004)
Does “decreased abilities” lead to
lower productivity given
adaptability of workplaces?

Mixed evidence
“We find that establishment productivity increases with
the share of employees until the age of 50-55 and only
decreases slightly afterwards. ” Goebel et al
“Measuring this sort of thing precisely is riddled with
statistical pitfalls: as a cohort ages, for example, the frail,
with low productivity, drop out. The survivors tend to be
the brightest and toughest. That puts average scores up.
On the other hand, improved education in past decades
probably biases test scores against people too old to have
benefited from it.” Economist 2004

Improving health
45% of survey respondents were
concerned about health as a barrier to
working longer. In Germany and
Norway, about two-thirds of
respondents said this was their main
worry (Aon 2010)
Our analysis has found relatively few
initiatives by governments or
employers to explicitly improve the
health of older workers.

 All Portuguese workers of 50+ are now required to carry out annual
general medical exams.
 Ageing at Work is a European Commission supported project that
develops training for HR professionals on health and age
management at a European level.
 The Work Ability model developed by the Finnish Institute of
Occupational Health offers a framework and set of interventions to
help organisations make the necessary adjustments.

Care as a factor
 Caring has a significant impact on the process of
retirement.
 Paradoxically, even though women are more likely
than men to have caring responsibilities, men are more
likely to have to retire early as a result of caring
responsibilities, due to the greater incidence of part-
time work among women.
 However, part-time and flexible working is not a
panacea, as for many carers the biggest barrier to work
is that one is unable to take leave at short notice to
deal with crises.

But worse? Are
our workplaces
“killing with
kindness”

Participation falls when we leave school

And it isn’t changing
No change 2003-2008
(Scotland)

Even though we know it is good for us
 409 randomly selected older people (65–84 years)
Results:
– levels of knowledge about the specific health
benefits of physical activity were high.
– Almost all participants (95%) believed that physical
activity was beneficial and 79% believed that they
did enough to keep healthy.
– However, 36% did no leisure time physical activity
and a further 17% did less than 2 hours per week.

Research backs case for physical activity
In 1953, Morris et al published the
findings from a study showing that bus
conductors in London, who spent their
working hours walking the length of the
buses as well as climbing up and down
the stairs of the English double-decker
buses to collect fares, experienced half
the coronary heart disease (CHD)
mortality rates of their driver
counterparts, who spent their day sitting
behind the wheel.

There are barriers. But do the policy solutions tackle
the barriers?

Our workplaces are making us less physically active
“There has been a decline in the
number of traditional manual roles
available, and growth in
areas such as customer service and
Information and Communication
Technology (ICT), leaving many
older former manual workers
forced to enter new job markets in
later life.”
We are designing manual work out
of manual work (BMW)

“prolonged sitting is shortening our lives”

Our workplaces are like Rhyl Sun Centre

Is “working at home making it worse”
The British Heart Foundation (BHF)
says 10,000 steps a day (about five
miles) can give you a healthy heart
and reduce body fat

ONLY CONNECT QUIZ – What links?

ONLY CONNECT QUIZ
Charles Dickens Winston Churchill Virginia Woolfe Ernest Hemingway

Former U.S. Secretary of Defense, Donald
H. Rumsfeld, working at a standing desk

Popular Science, a magazine with roots much older than
the Paris Review, first began writing about the virtues of
standing desks for writers back in 1883. By 1967, they
were explaining how to fashion a desk with simple
supplies instead of forking over $800 for a commercial
model — a hefty sum in the 60s, let alone now.

Are we killing with kindness?
How can we design in
physical activity across
the lifecourse?
Into the workplace
and our built
environment?
Too much educate?
Too little compulsion?

Can technology help?

So how do we engage with older workers?
 We know healthy ageing is important
 But most of us don’t do it
 And we don’t really know how
 Educate/inform/compel?

Why do older people refuse services – Psychological
issues to services
 Lack of awareness of their own
needs by older people themselves;
 Lack of trust some older people
have of formal services;
 Concerns regarding revealing
weakness or being associated with
negative stereotypes;
 The fear that one may be
considered frail or elderly as a key
barrier to engaging with the
outside world.

Why do older people refuse services - Services may
fail to fit with older people’s needs
 Lack of choice and flexibility as
to what is on offer;
 Failure to meet personal and
cultural beliefs, interests and
priorities;
 Conflicts between the value
base of old and young,
professional and layperson;
 Services viewed as patronising
or ageist.

Why do older people refuse services- Services may
be inaccessible
 Accessibility of services due to
sensory and mobility impairments,
for example reading small text,
listening to recorded messages and
accessing e-services;
 Practical barriers such as lack of
transport; lack of public toilets; fear
of crime etc;
 Bureaucracy and access criteria;
 Poor quality of services or
anticipated poor quality of services

Can you read the menu?
In many European cities one of the
main groups eating in restaurants
are those over 50, yet very few 50
year olds are able to read a menu
by candlelight with out their
reading glasses. That is because
the menus are usually designed by
younger people in print shops, not
for senior citizens. What a crazy
situation: the people who the
restaurants want to market to
cannot read any of their sales
literature. Patrick Dixon (2008)

Inclusive design

What can you do?
 Understand the barriers to uptake of health
interventions in the workplace by age
 Be age neutral (but might age prompts work)
 Use the nudge/social norm
– Promote activity as it benefits others
– Your colleague does it, why don’t you

I stay active… Because she deserves a dance with
grandpa

In conclusion
 Age, health and work relationship is complex
 In *many* areas, age related decline is not inevitable
 There is some evidence of “use it or lose it”
 Employers could play a bigger role in helping us age
healthier (and work longer)
 There is mixed evidence on impact of work on health

 Looking across the world (see case studies) limited
innovation and almost non in health
 Government’s seemingly ignoring the health barrier to
working longer. Whose responsibility?
Government
Employers
Individual?

Many thanks
David Sinclair
Director, International Longevity Centre
Davidsinclair@ilcuk.org.uk
02073400440
Twitter: @ilcuk
and @sinclairda

Case studies - Appendix
Examples of how we can support older workers

Barriers Opportunities
• Skills obsolescence
• End of jobs for life
• Ageist attitudes, particularly in
recruitment
• ‘Right to retire’
• Age-blindness: failure to support older
workers
• Age-related health conditions
• Impact of stress
• Caring responsibilities
• Fewer training opportunities
• Difficulty of job transitions
• Poor job quality
• Inflexible retirement policies
• Recognition of skills shortages
• Blurring of jobs and
entrepreneurship
• Active retirement and gradual
retirement
• Age-blindness: end of direct
discrimination
• Increasing healthy life expectancy
• Recognition of importance of
health
• Recognition of increasing care
demands
• Lifelong learning
• Flexible working arrangement
• Less arduous jobs
• Customer-focused companies

What do older workers want?
• 1 in 3 workers over 50 want to work beyond state pension age
• Why? Financial reasons, mental well-being, job satisfaction
• The importance of control, therefore flexible working/gradual retirement
• Barriers to suitable gradual retirement:
•Jobs not do-able on part-time basis
•Loss of status
•Pension impact
•Line managers

UK CASE STUDIES

J Sainsbury:
window of opportunity
• Historically supportive of flexible working, e.g. for
employees with caring responsibilities
• Replaced ‘final salary’ pension scheme (with normal
retirement age of 65) with ‘25 year window’ scheme to
retire between 50-75.
• Within this window, employees reduce working hours
and claim part of pension- but still accrue further
pension entitlements.
• Can retain older workers in greater numbers,
benefiting from skills and experience.
References: Cranfield University (2010); EFA (2012)

Ernst and Young: keep in touch
• Very active alumni network, user-
led but supported by the company.
• Company recruits ‘boomerangs’
from within the network, as
employees or consultants.
• Useful for attracting women back to
the company.
• Around 1 in 4 mature recruits is
drawn from the alumni network.
Reference: The Economist (2006)

University of Central Lancashire: taking stock
• Existing high levels of older workers: 2 in 5 employees
aged 50+.
• Designed ‘Fresh Steps’ programme delivered through
two workshops.
• Encourages employees to evaluate work and life
holistically, their career development and training needs.
References: Interview with Wilma Butterworth, Staff Development Manager, UCLan
• Has led to increased uptake in flexible
working and the development of
‘Pause for Thought’ – a counselling
service for older employees.

Working Carers Network
• Developed by Employers for Carers, supported
by NESTA- workplace-based support for older
carers.
• Pilot: London Fire Brigade.
• Online resources developed with employer (LFB-
branded resources).
• Led to development of peer-to-peer support
network, and employers and employees working
together to update resources. References: XXXX

WorkAge: managing change
• Run by York College.
• Firms seek support from WorkAge to
• address skill gaps
• improve their image by recruiting older workers
(Though no clear pattern of motivations for seeking
help, underlining the fact that there is no single
model for extending working lives).
• Individuals are encouraged to recognise their
transferrable skills and experience gained outside the
workplace, and build confidence in their abilities.
Reference: Interview with Sue Newton-Brown, Project Manager (Equality and Diversity), York College

BMW: the future is now
• Reorganised production line around 2017
workforce with average age of 47.
• Results: 7% productivity increase, lower
absenteeism, zero defect rate.
• Plant implemented many ‘best practice’
measures re older workers:
• Improved occupational health procedures.
• Ergonomic transformation of work
environment.
• P/T and flexible working.
References: The Economist (2006); Eurofound (2006); Hope (2005); Loch et al (2010); Roth (2010).

The police service: the beat goes on
• Many soft skills developed through years
of experience. However, retirement age
of 55 means that often skills are lost.
• Police service runs the 30+ PLUS
scheme, administered by National
Policing Improvement Agency.
• Any officer with at least 30 years’ service
can apply to stay past age 55.
• Eases retirement shortfalls and bulges
while allowing organisation to retain key
skills and maintain continuity. References: NPIA (2010)

Guernsey Post: getting there
• AARP International Innovative Employer Award 2010.
• Flexible and part time working opportunities allow
gradual retirement and assistance for those with caring
responsibilities.
• Older workers can transfer to ‘indoor jobs’ towards the
end of their career.
• Offer pre-retirement training on tax, pensions, well-
being, benefits, managing finances and working
beyond retirement.
• Asked if wish to continue working at 65, then if so given
annual contract renewals from then on. References: XXXX

INTERNATIONAL CASE STUDIES

Achmea: lifecourse approach to flexible working
• Dutch financial services company.
• No overtime requirement for over-50s.
• Staff can reduce weekly hours from 38 to
34 using holiday time stored earlier in
career.
• Employees over 57 can reduce hours by
20%.
References: XXXX

Ryobi: divide and rule
• Japanese plastics manufacturer.
• Highly complex production tasks that cannot be taught
through manuals – danger of skills shortages when
older workers leave.
• Tasks divided into ‘simple’ and ‘technical’.
• Allows the company to cope with losing older workers,
but also allows employees to develop new skills over
the lifecourse.
Reference: Morioka (2008)

Older nurses in Atlanta: it’s ergonomics, stupid
• AARP Innovation award 2010 for Fresh
Steps
• User-centred, whole-of-life, peer-based
• Workshops lead to creation of informal
networks
• Pause for Thought launched in
response to users reporting
bereavement, loneliness, etc.
References: XXXX

McDonald’s:
the customer is always right
• Keen to eradicate the image of the ‘McJob’.
• Worked to establish a business case around extending
working lives.
• Research from Lancaster University Management School
found
• customer satisfaction levels 20% higher in restaurants
with employees aged 60+ (though may be due to an
age mix rather than older workers per se),
• 68% managers state older workers empathise with &
connect well with customers.References: EFA (2010a; 2010b); Fairhurst (2010); Personal correspondence with Dr Shashi Balain, LUMS

Healthcare workers in Belgium: changing gear
Steps
networks
Reference: Eurofound (2011)

Hansgrohe AG: mum’s the word EDIT
Steps
networks
References: XXXX

Domestic and General:
talking about my generation
Steps
networks
References: XXXX

OTHER SCHEMES

• Older workers more likely than any age group to be
self employed, though just 5% of business are
founded by someone aged 60 or over.
• More likely to start up business in later life with prior
experience of self-employment
• Prince’s Initiative for Mature Enterprise (PRIME) offers
training, mentoring and loans to older entrepeneurs to
break down barriers
Self-employment – taking charge
• Self employment may compel
extending working lives for negative
reasons e.g. lack of pension provision
Berry (2010); Botham & Graves (2009). Image sourced from money.aol.co.uk

Workforce assessment tool: a need to know basis
Steps
networks
References: XXXX

Slivers of Time: market in micro-shifts
• Huge amount of under-utilised
labour time.
• Online labour market for small
chunks of time.
• Applied by Tesco, local
authorities.
• Opportunity for older workers to
work flexibly, and retain control.
References: Equality Law (2010); LGID (2006); Rowan, W (2010); Watt, N (2010); Wood, Z (2010); Interview with Claire Madden, Business Development Manager, Slivers of Time

Volunteering: beyond employability EDIT
Steps
networks
References: XXXX

Healthy ageing? The opportunities and challenges of an older workforce

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