Aging workforce- RA

INTRODUCTION:
The definition of an aging worker is generally based on the period when major changes
occur in relevant work-related functions during the course of work life
Advances in public health and medicine have improved health outcomes and increased life
expectancy worldwide while reducing mortality.
Because of willingness, and sometimes fiscal necessity, older adults are working beyond the
traditional retirement age of 65 years.
(M. S. White, Workplace Health and Safety, 2018.)

 Population plays an important role for the development of a country as the potential
for economic development of the country.
 In India, the proportion of elderly persons is ever increasing since 1951 and has
projected to reach at 10.1% in 2021 and likely to further increase to 13.1% in 2031.
 The working age population has also an increasing trend since 1971 and has
projected to reach 64.4% in 2021 and further increase to 65.2% in 2031as per the
Report of the Technical Group on Population Projections for India and States 2011-
2036.
(Ministry of Statistics and programme Implementation, 2021.)

 Demographic change, i.e., a decrease in birth rates and a parallel increase of life
expectancy, induces a continuing aging of many societies. To sustain the pension
system, welfare states have carried out reforms which prolong working lives by
delaying retirement age. For companies, demographic change and policy reform
imply that they increasingly need to recruit and retain older workers to meet their
personnel requirements.
 Concerns remain whether older workers can work longer. The work force
participation of older workers is still low, implying that workers often leave work
before reaching retirement age. Thus, companies need to take actions to enable
workers to remain in the workforce until retirement age.
 One popular approach to increasing retention rates of older workers is to adapt work
demands to their needs.
 Work ability, i.e., the balance between work demands and individual capacities,
needs to be promoted, because a poor balance between work demands and
individual capacities means that a worker might not be able to meet work demands
in physical, mental and mixed work. If persistent over time, a poor balance between
work demands and individual capacities might even cause individual capacities to
decrease, e.g., by causing health impairments, and thus making work ability decrease
further.
(K. Sippli, 2021)
1. A qualitative study (semi-structured interviews) was conducted by K. Sippli et al.,
2021; Journal: Int Arch Occup Environ Health.
o The interviews were conducted among older workers participating in a
workplace intervention undertaken at one production site of a large
manufacturing company 
o The objective was to get the older workers’ perspective on work ability,
improving design and implementation of workplace intervention
o The interventions comprised of a variety of measures such as physical
exercise, ergonomic training, selection optimisation and compensation (SOC),
and counselling and education
o According to the results: older workers´ reported some challenges they face
due to their participation in the workplace intervention. These resulted from
the work environment (physical challenges), the work process design (new
long work cycle), the work organization (tight time allowances, little job
rotation, change of teams, age stereotypes) and the management of the
workplace intervention (bad information, feeling of occupational insecurity
and lack of being valued).
o In conclusion, the study showed that challenges arising for older workers
from their participation in the workplace intervention may have counteracted
the promotion of work ability. As findings suggest, some of these challenges
might have been avoided either by considering workers´ perspective during
design and implementation of an intervention or by referring to evidence on
aging and work ability.

2. One comparative study by T. Yang et al., 2019; journal: Int J Environ Res Public
Health.
o They examined to know how stress affects the work ability of an aging
workforce, how health mediates this relationship, and how the effects of
stress on work ability differ in relation to social status.
o Aging workers are less productive because they have less job resources to
manage their job demands and because they experience cognitive changes
and declines in their physiological and physical abilities
o These job demands may increase stress and impair worker health,
engagement and perceived ability to continue working as the physical and
physiological capacity at age 60 years is only 60% of that at age 20 years
o They concluded that: Aging workers have less job resources and extremely
high job demands, which resulted in high levels of stress. In this longitudinal
study, they noted a persistent significantly negative relationship between
stress and work ability and that this relationship was significantly mediated
by health status, which was relatively poor among aging workers. Finally,
stress had a weaker effect on the work ability of aging workers with high
social status.
 o Their findings implied that further attention to health, stress and other
psychosocial factors is of importance to enhance their performance and close
the gap between workforce demand and supply. The managers must
acknowledge health, identify stressors and mechanisms by which stress
impairs worker health and work ability and control risk factors in policy
making process

3. A study by Miriam M. et al, 2020; journal: J Aging Health.

o The objective was to examine the effects of diabetes and disease duration on
work status over a 9-year period.
o Diabetes is known to negatively impact work and economic productivity, due
to work absences, disability leave, and premature departure from the
workforce
o As Work productivity is reportedly lower among persons with diabetes, have
a higher probability of retirement relative to diabetes-free adults
o The rate of self-reported disability and nonparticipation in the workforce due
to health impairment among those with diabetes is twofold that of those
without the disease.
o Furthermore, studies have also indicated a significantly increased likelihood
of premature death among workers with diabetes
o For workers with diabetes, ability and desire to work may be influenced not
only by disease symptoms and complications, but also by the side effects of
treatments and medications.
o They concluded that Diabetes increased risk of exiting the workforce due to
disability. Disease management and workplace interventions may enable
older adults to continue being productive should they choose to remain in
the workforce as even the number of older adults in the workforce continues
to increase

In conclusion: (Jasmina B.H., 2020)

 The ageing labour force could represent a risk both for society and economy unless it is
well managed.
 Policy implications could focus more on the following:
1) Extend the length of work ability
2) Avoid the age-based discrimination
3) Improve the well-being of older workers
4) Promote the lifelong learning
5) Encourage the late retirement
 The aging of the population raises many issues and provides many opportunities. It
intensifies the requirement for long-term care, healthcare, and a better-skilled
workforce, and increases the demand for age-friendly environments. On the other hand,
 it enables the contributions of older people to their family, local community, or broader
society.
 Most prominent works suggest policies and practices that support life-long learning, a
workforce that comprises both younger and older workers, and gradual retirement.
Approaches like these could be the best response to the globalization issues, reduction
of workforce, maintenance of financial independence of the aging workforce, and other
social benefits.