News | Ageingatwork

Verslag studienamiddag 'Leeftijd en gezondheid op het werk' (België - Leuven)

Tilia Boussios — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:46:00 GMT

Samen met de huidige economische recessie vormt de vergrijzing en ontgroening van de bevolking een van de grootste uitdagingen voor onze samenleving en arbeidswereld. Zo bereikt bijvoorbeeld een grote groep oudere werknemers de komende jaren haar pensioengerechtigde leeftijd. Wanneer deze babyboomers de arbeidsmarkt verlaten, vloeit er niet alleen veel kennis en ervaring weg; hun plaatsen zullen in vele gevallen erg moeizaam worden ingevuld - zeker op het moment dat de economie weer zal aanzwengelen. Er dreigt met andere woorden een nijpend tekort aan geschikte arbeidskrachten. Arbeidsorganisaties zullen niet alleen meer op zoek moeten gaan naar oudere en ervaren mensen, ze zullen ook verdere inspanningen moeten leveren om een degelijk en stimulerend leeftijdsbewust personeels- en retentiebeleid uit te bouwen.

Tegen deze achtergrond ging Prevent eind 2007, samen met enkele Europese partners en met financiële steun van het 'Leonardo da Vinci'-programma van de Europese Commissie, van start met het project AGEING AT WORK. Het uitgangspunt van AGEING AT WORK is dat het voeren van een leeftijdsbewust beleid gepaard moet gaan met aandacht voor de gezondheid, het welzijn en het werkvermogen van álle werknemers. Een gepast welzijns- en gezondheidsbeleid kan de duurzame inzetbaarheid van werknemers immers mee helpen garanderen.

Tijdens het project werd op basis van een behoeftenanalyse en literatuurstudie, een pilot-training voor HR-professionals uitgevoerd in België, Nederland en Polen. Als sluitstuk van het Belgisch/Vlaamse luik van AGEING AT WORK, werd er op woensdagnamiddag 28 oktober in Leuven een studienamiddag 'Leeftijd en gezondheid op het werk' georganiseerd. Het eindsymposium gaf toelichting bij de bevindingen van het project en een aantal deskundigen (Dr. Rob Gründemann, TNO Nederland; Prof. Luc Derijcke, UAMS; Dr Philippe Kiss, Securex; Dirk Mallezie, FOD Mobiliteit & Vervoer; Gunter Bombaerts, expertisecentrum Leeftijd & Werk) vertelden meer over de vergrijzingsproblematiek en strategieën om deze op organisatieniveau aan te pakken.

Er waren een 120-tal deelnemers, uit diverse sectoren en diensten (HR, preventieadviseurs, arbeidsgeneesheren, projectontwikkelaars, diversiteitsconsulenten, etc.). Zij kregen onder andere volgende conclusies mee:

Focus niet enkel op de oudere werknemer. Richt je niet enkel op de 'kalenderleeftijd' en de groep "oudere" werknemers, maar op iedereen, doorheen de ganse loopbaan. Het totale leeftijdsplaatje is dus van belang. Op deze manier stop je mensen niet in vakjes. De "jongere" werknemers zijn immers de oudere werknemers van morgen.
Aandacht voor de gezondheid van werknemers rendeert!. Focus niet enkel op de kennis en vaardigheden van werknemers, maar ook op hun gezondheid. Een degelijk welzijns- en gezondheidsbeleid op het werk, met aandacht voor onder meer veiligheid, ergonomie, psychosociale aspecten, re-integratie, leefstijl en gezondheidspromotie, kan werknemers mee helpen gemotiveerd, betrokken, vitaal en inzetbaar te houden.
Samenwerking tussen HR, preventiediensten, direct leidinggevenden, etc. is noodzakelijk. Om tot een integraal gezondheidsbeleid te komen, is er samenwerking nodig tussen verschillende actoren binnen een organisatie. HR- en preventiediensten werken momenteel vaak op hun eigen eiland. Door een betere synergie, kunnen er meer doeltreffende oplossingen gevonden worden om de betrokkenheid en inzetbaarheid van alle werknemers te behouden en te vergroten. Hierbij spelen de direct leidinggevenden eveneens een cruciale rol: zij vormen de schakel tussen de werknemer en de andere actoren, en dienen hierbij kort op de bal te spelen.

In bijlage vindt u een pdf-versie van de presentaties die werden gegeven tijdens deze studienamiddag.

Swedish Presidency puts Healthy and Dignified Ageing on EU priorities

Tilia Boussios — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:24:00 GMT

On 15-16 September, the Swedish Presidency organised in Stockholm a conference on Healthy and Dignified Ageing to discuss how Member States can improve the quality of life of the elderly in Europe through strengthened cooperation between health and social sectors at national and European. This conference was very successful in raising awareness of the need to promote a better coordination and
cooperation of all actors involved in elder care. For more information see the conference website

Discussiemiddag 'Leeftijd en gezondheid op het werk'

Tilia Boussios — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 09:29:00 GMT

De Hogeschool Utrecht en TNO willen graag in gesprek komen met HR-professionals over het thema leeftijd en gezondheid op het werk. Hiertoe organiseren zij op dinsdag 27 oktober een discussiebijeenkomt in Utrecht. Tijdens die middag zullen de actuele ontwikkelingen op dit terrein besproken worden. Dat betreft het voornemen van het kabinet om de AOW leeftijd te verhogen naar 67 jaar en de door SER leden voor 1 oktober 2009 geformuleerde alternatieven. Tijdens de middag zullen de deelnemers ook worden geïnformeerd over de resultaten van het Leonardo da Vinci-project AGEING AT WORK en de in het kader van dit project ontwikkelde training. Deze training levert een bijdrage aan de ontwikkeling (en uitvoering) van een organisatiebeleid gericht op meer duurzame inzetbaarheid van de medewerkers. Meer informatie over de discussiemiddag en hoe u zich kan inschrijven, vindt u in de pdf in bijlage.

Conference on Healthy and Dignified Ageing

Tilia Boussios — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:56:00 GMT

A conference on Healthy and Dignified Ageing is held on 15 and 16 September in Stockholm. The aim of the conference is to more permanently and regurlarly put the issue on ageing and elderly on the EU agenda. It is also to promote cooperation and interaction between health and social sectors dealing with ageing - both at EU-level and at national level.

Studienamiddag 'Leeftijd en gezondheid op het werk'

Tilia Boussios — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 09:45:41 GMT

De studienamiddag richt zich op HR-professionals, preventieadviseurs en iedereen die meer wil weten over het voeren van een leeftijdsbewust personeelsbeleid en het welzijn van de ouder wordende werknemer. Tijdens het symposium zullen de bevindingen van het project worden voorgesteld, en komen een aantal deskundigen meer vertellen over de vergrijzingsproblematiek en strategieën om deze op organisatieniveau aan te pakken. Volgende topics staan onder andere op het programma: - Arbeidsparticipatie van oudere werknemers, Dr. Rob Gründemann (TNO Arbeid - Hogeschool Utrecht) - Wakker houden op het werk - krachtlijnen voor een leeftijdsneutraal stimulerend personeelsbeleid, Prof. Luc Derijcke (UAMS) - Gezondheid van oudere werknemers en hun functionele capaciteit - belangrijke parameters voor een leeftijdsbewust personeelsbeleid, Dr. Philippe Kiss (Securex) Meer informatie over het programma en hoe u zich kan inschrijven, vindt u in de pdf in bijlage.

How can the European Union lessen the impact of the recession on older workers : an assessment and recommendations from AGE

Tilia Boussios — Wed, 13 May 2009 07:38:00 GMT

The deteriorating economic situation, together with demographic change, are set to radically impact on the organisation of employment and the growth potential of Europe’s labour markets and financial systems. A recent OECD study indicated that older workers, in particular older women, will be among those most affected in the deepening economic crisis and the particular difficulties which these workers face in different work sectors and occupations must be given due attention because the EU economies need their contribution to recover. AGE considers that all levels of governance must take active steps to address the fears and expectations of Europe’s older workers and their increasing sense of precariousness and loss of confidence in the EU and in their Member State’s employment, social protection and financial systems.
AGE has developed a number of recommendations which our members consider would be effective in mitigating the negative impact of the present crisis on older workers. These include the mainstreaming of intergenerational solidarity and cooperation within the employment context and the implementation of initiatives promoting longer working lives such as job sharing and phased retirement. We also stress the importance of retaining the European social model as a safeguard against deeper recession and the need to address the roll-back effect of the crisis on older people who have to support, with their limited pensions, their younger family members who become unemployed. Above all, we highlight the need to return to core values and for Member States to maintain sound governance, and we emphasis the responsibility of the state to guarantee an adequate income for all its citizens, including those who are amongst the most vulnerable such as pensioners or the older unemployed.

2009 Ageing Communication: A Renewed Strategy for Tackling Europe’s Demographic Challenge

Tilia Boussios — Mon, 11 May 2009 08:36:00 GMT

Europe's population is living increasingly longer and in better health, a huge achievement that we have every reason to be proud of.

However, ageing populations also pose major economic, budgetary and social challenges. While the first priority is to make the current recession as short as possible, we must not lose sight of the policies and reforms needed to ensure that the elderly have decent pensions and access to health and long-term care without putting an unsustainable burden on future generations. The 2009 Ageing Communication adopted today states that governments have a window of opportunity before the baby-boom generation retires, to implement policies that address the challenge whilst being compatible with the need to support the economy at this juncture, as recommended in the December European Economic Recovery Plan. Projections agreed with the Member States put the increase in age-related expenditure at an average of 4¾ percentage points (pp) of GDP in the EU by 2060. In the same period we will move from having four people of working age for every person aged over 65 to a ratio of 2 to 1. Ageing will already start affecting most EU economies in the coming decade.

Under the projected birth rates, life expectancy and migration flows, the population of the present EU will be roughly the same in 2060 at about 500 million, but will be significantly older. From 2015 deaths will outnumber births and the over 65 are set to increase to 30% of the population in 2060 from 17% in 2008. The biggest rise is expected during the period 2015-35 as the baby-boom cohorts retire. The 80+ would nearly treble to 12% of the total.

This means the EU would move from having four people of working age for every person aged over 65 to a ratio of only two to one. The shrinking workforce would also mean a lower potential growth while, on the basis of current policies, age-related public expenditure would increase on average by about 4¾ pp of GDP by 2060 in the EU (more than 5 pp in the euro area) through pension, healthcare and long-term care spending.

There has been progress to meet the challenge during the past decade and since the previous Ageing Report in 2006, notably through reforms of pension systems, but also by increasing employment levels amongst women, through the promotion of a better balance between professional and family life. While the employment rate of the 55+ age group has also increased, only around 50% are still at work by the age of 60 despite having another 24 years to live for women and 20 years for men, on average, in better health than ever before.

The current financial and economic crisis has led to a global recession that has set back significantly the progress with fiscal consolidation, which is part and parcel of a strategy to have long-term sustainable finances and to cope with ageing.

The priority must be the implementation of a targeted and well-coordinated policy response, as stressed in the European Economic Recovery Plan to ensure that the crisis will not put the EU permanently on a lower growth path in terms of employment and labour productivity. For this to happen, the response needs to be built on structural reforms. As soon as the economic recovery has been firmly established, it is crucial to reduce government deficits and to put public budgets on a sustainable path.

The three-pronged strategy to cope with the economic and budgetary challenge posed by ageing decided by the Stockholm European Council in 2001 remains a valid long-term policy strategy and consists of reducing debts rapidly as soon as the economy picks up; raising employment rates and productivity; and reforming pension, healthcare and long-term care systems. The same applies for the five policy goals identified in the Commission’s October 2006 communication on the demographic future of Europe, namely pro-family policies, promotion of new services and jobs to serve ageing populations and mobility of workers within the EU to avoid skills mismatches.

Coordination at European level helps by providing for the exchange of best practices, developing synergies and reducing negative spillovers. The Commission will continue to guide Member States in this regard notably by proposing in the course of this year a post-2010 reformulation of the Lisbon Strategy, an update of its report on the long-term sustainability of public finances.

European Business Summit, 26-27 March 2009

Tilia Boussios — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:44:42 GMT

On the occasion of the European Business Summit on 26 March 2009, Dr Elizabeth Mestheneos, AGE President, declared that older workers must be enabled to work for longer if the EU is to meet the costs of its ageing populations and she stressed the key role that European business has to play in facilitating this. “The answer to the demographic challenge will need to come partly from the grey themselves and older workers should be enabled and encouraged to work for longer. Employers must therefore do their utmost to keep them in employment and provide flexible working arrangements to enable them to continue to work” observed Dr Mestheneos, adding that “mandatory retirement ages must be lifted to enable those who wish or need to work to continue in paid employment”. She stressed that adequate 1st pillar (state) pensions providing adequate income for all must be guaranteed to avoid poverty which is linked directly to ill health and contributes to rising health care costs. The gender dimension in the trend to move toward 2nd and 3rd pillar pensions must be addressed as those workers - largely women - who take career breaks or who work part-time to care for dependent relatives remain at a significant disadvantage. She added that the current financial crisis provides clear evidence that supplementary pensions (2nd and 3rd pillars) cannot substitute for the responsibility of the state in ensuring sufficient pension provision for all and avoid gender gaps in pension provision. Older workers have a valuable contribution to make today’s workforces and in our current economic context, their greater engagement presents an opportunity for a win-win situation for businesses and older workers alike. According to AGE, European companies and SMEs can help in many ways by: - Promoting the adoption of proactive life course age management methods in the workplace; - Allowing workers the flexiblity to combine part-time employment with volunteering, community involvement, lifelong learning and caring responsibilities; - Implementing phased retirement to enable workers to make a gradual shift from full-time paid employment to an active period of retirement; - Effecting a change in business culture that views older workers as active and valued members of companies; - Strengthening efforts to make more and better jobs available to older workers and carry out research on the changes needed to encourage all older workers (including women) to work for longer; - Investing in workers of all ages and taking an age neutral approach to (re-)training and skills upgrading; - Supporting healthy ageing in the workplace, avoiding mental health problems caused by a devaluing of older workers, and making rational use of resources i.e. use ICT to help older workers remain healthier and fitter for longer. For more details on how Europe can manage its ageing working populations, AGE’s position paper on how the EU can lessen the impact of the financial crisis on older workers is available here: http://www.age-platform.org/EN/spip.php?article743. For more details, please contact the AGE Secretariat at: info@age-platform.org. About AGE AGE - the European Older People's Platform is a European network of organisations of people aged 50+ and represents over 22 million older people in Europe. AGE aims to voice and promote the interests of the 150 million inhabitants aged 50+ in the European Union and to raise awareness of the issues that concern them most. Website: www.age-platform.org.

Public Consultation on the Green Paper on the European Workforce for Health

Tilia Boussios — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 14:39:00 GMT

The Green Paper on the European Workforce for Health was issued on 10 December 2008, as part of the Europe for Patients campaign. It concerns all involved in the management, planning and delivery of healthcare in the European Union (EU).

The ageing population, the subsequent ageing workforce and changing disease patterns are creating increases in demand for quality healthcare as well as supply shortages. These challenges need to be addressed by attracting, training, recruiting and retaining a motivated health workforce.

The European Commission is gathering stakeholders' views on this topic, until 31 March 2009.

The analysis of the contributions will play a part in developing a forthcoming initiative on the European Workforce for Health.

For more information about the green paper and this consultation process, please visit: http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_systems/workforce_en.htm

The Dutch Ageing at Work Training Kick-Off

Tilia Boussios — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:46:00 GMT

The Dutch Ageing at Work Training kicked off in Utrecht on the 29th of February 2009.

Ten HR professionals, from a wide range of organisations, attended the first training day, which was lead by Rob Gründemann (TNO) and Kees Thuijsman (Hogeschool Utrecht). The next Dutch training session is planned for the 5th of March 2009. A week later, on the 12th, the Belgian training will start.

AgeingatWork Dutch, Flemish and Polish Training

Tilia Boussios — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 16:08:00 GMT

The AgeingatWork Training will take place during the first half of 2009. These courses will take place in the Netherlands (Utrecht), in Belgium (Brussels) and in Poland (Lodz). In order to find out how to register for the courses you can download the appropriate Training Brochure.

[NL] [BE]

Twentieth Edition of the Employment in Europe Annual Report

Tilia Boussios — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:41:00 GMT

The Commission will present its annual Employment in Europe report, with a particular focus this year on mobility. The Employment in Europe report 2008, as in previous years, addresses topics that are high on the European Union's employment policy agenda. It will give a comprehensive overview of the employment situation in the EU, as well as an analysis of key labour market issues, including immigration, post-enlargement intra-EU labour mobility, quality of work and the link between education and employment.

The Background

The Employment in Europe Report has been produced annually since 1989. It is the main tool for the analysis of employment performance and labour market developments in the European Union, the Acceding and the Candidate Countries. It provides the basic analytical and statistical background to underpin the Joint Employment Report as well as other instruments key to the European Employment Strategy which helps European Union countries to create more and better jobs. Objectives, priorities and targets are agreed at EU level. Governments then coordinate their efforts to promote employment.

Sources

Former Employment in Europe Reports

More information on Employment in the EU

Commissioner Špidla's website

Demography Forum and Report: Better Societies for Families and Older People

Tilia Boussios — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 11:45:00 GMT

The Commission will organise its '2nd European Demography Forum offering policy makers and stakeholders from all over Europe an opportunity to discuss recent developments in the fields of active ageing and family policies.

In time for the Forum, the Commission will present the 2008 Demography Report which provides the latest facts and figures that are needed for assessing where Members States stand in responding to the challenges of demographic change.

The Commission will also present the results of a Eurobarometer on family life and the needs of an ageing population. The survey asked Europeans how they feel about their family life today, the problems they face and their opinions about policies that could help improve their situation. In addition, the needs of an ageing population are examined under various aspects (retirement, health, housing, volunteering).

Background

The ageing of the European population is no longer an abstract scenario describing a distant future. The baby boom started 60 years ago and the first baby boomers are now reaching retirement age. The EU's demographic development is thus reaching an important turning point. From now on, the population aged 60 years and above will be growing at the rate of 2 million people every year for the next 25 years. At the same time, the growth of the working age population is slowing rapidly and will stop altogether in about 6 years.

Employment rates of older people have already risen over recent years, reversing the past trend towards ever earlier retirement, but more needs to be done. By the age of sixty, only about 40% of men and 30% of women are still in employment. The Demography Report also describes the changing family and household patterns in the EU. The changes are significant and need to be taken into account in the modernisation of family policies.

According to the Eurobarometer the level of dissatisfaction with public support for families with children or caring for dependent older relatives was especially high.

Sources

'Second European Demographic Forum - Better societies for families and older people'
Demography and the social situation in the EU:
Commissioner Špidla's website:
Video News Release on meeting the needs of an ageing population (available 18/11/08)