Good practices

A small youth welfare organisation, providing social support services for troubled young people, found that its workers aged over 50 were regularly absent or out of work on long-term sick leave. In a bid to retain these experienced workers, a pilot project was set up aiming to their roles were re-designed using a participatory approach.

A large coal mining company has identified increasing rates of sickness-absence and

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) refer to health problems affecting the muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, the vascular system, nerves or other soft tissues and joints of the musculoskeletal system. Work-related MSDs are associated with repetitive and strenuous work. These health problems range from discomfort, minor aches and pains, to more serious medical conditions which can lead to permanent disability. (Source)

among its workers. The company initiated a programme to reduce sickness absence and the incidence of

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) refer to health problems affecting the muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, the vascular system, nerves or other soft tissues and joints of the musculoskeletal system. Work-related MSDs are associated with repetitive and strenuous work. These health problems range from discomfort, minor aches and pains, to more serious medical conditions which can lead to permanent disability. (Source)

(MSDs) through prevention. It also aimed to improve workers’ health by awareness-raising and health promotion activities.

A small family support service organisation has an all-female workforce who was suffering from a significant degree of stress and burnout due to the high emotional demands of the job. They needed to find a way to improve working conditions in order to reduce staff turnover.

An airport services company has 500 employees, over half of whom work shifts. In recent years the company has identified a growing problem with sickness-absence and occupational

A disabled worker is a worker with physical or mental impairments that may hamper the work performance. Disabled workers include people with chronic, long-term or progressive conditions. (Source)

. They initiated a programme to improve workers’ overall health and work-life balance by taking a life course approach.

A large multinational initiated a health promotion programme to create healthier workplaces for all ages. They recognised that workers were motivated by different things and they set out to create a programme with something for everyone.

A cement company employs over 200 workers, almost one-third of whom are over 50 years of age. As older workers are at an increased risk of workplace accidents, the company wanted to focus on making work healthier and safer for everybody.

A retailer employs over 600 employees, of which 20% are over 57 years old. The lines of production require a high degree of task specialisation, which makes it costly to recruit and train new workers. To ensure the continuity of production and reduce staff turnover, as well as to avoid reducing valuable skills and experiences, the company introduced a mentoring scheme.

A sewing plant employing 3000 people received complaints from the employees about the work and working conditions. The movements were repetitive and caused eye strain and there was a continuous exposure to noise and vibration. Due to this, the quality of work decreased, which resulted in complaints from customers. The company decided to address the problems by improving the work environment.

A small roofing business was facing high rates of physical health problems, due to the heavy outdoor work involved. With its workers getting older, injuries and longer-term

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) refer to health problems affecting the muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, the vascular system, nerves or other soft tissues and joints of the musculoskeletal system. Work-related MSDs are associated with repetitive and strenuous work. These health problems range from discomfort, minor aches and pains, to more serious medical conditions which can lead to permanent disability. (Source)

kept three out of ten employees regularly at home and on sick leave. The company realised it needed to address the problem.

The majority of staff working at a painting company are over 55 years of age. With high sickness-absence and staff taking early retirement, the company was facing labour shortages. The company realised that they needed to implement an

Age management refers to the various dimensions by which human resources are managed within organisations with an explicit focus on ageing and, also, more generally, to the overall management of the workforce ageing via public policy or collective bargaining. (Source)

Essential principles of age management include:  

• An emphasis on prevention rather than reactive problem solving;
• A focus on the whole working life and all age groups, not just older workers; and
• A holistic approach encompassing all dimensions that contributes to effective age management. 

(Source)

programme to support its older workers.