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Abstract Background The health and social care sector (HCS) is currently facing multiple challenges across Europe: against the background of ageing societies, more people are in need of care. Simultaneously, several countries report a lack of skilled personnel. Due to its structural characteristics, including a high share of part-time workers, an ageing workforce, and challenging working conditions, the HCS requires measures and strategies to deal with these challenges. Methods This qualitative study analyses if and how organisations in three countries (Germany, Finland, and the UK) report similar challenges and how they support longer working careers in the HCS. Therefore, we conducted multiple case studies in care organisations. Altogether 54 semi-structured interviews with employees and representatives of management were carried out and analysed thematically. Results Analysis of the interviews revealed that there are similar challenges reported across the countries. Multiple organisational measures and strategies to improve the work ability and working life participation of (ageing) workers were identified. We identified similar challenges across our cases but different strategies in responding to them. With respect to the organisational measures, our results showed that the studied organisations did not implement any age-specific management strategies but realised different reactive and proactive human relation measures aiming at maintaining and improving employees’ work ability (i.e., health, competence and motivation) and longer working careers. Conclusions Organisations within the HCS tend to focus on the recruitment of younger workers and/or migrant workers to address the current lack of skilled personnel. The idea of explicitly focusing on ageing workers and the concept of age management as a possible solution seems to lack awareness and/or popularity among organisations in the sector. The concept of age management offers a broad range of measures, which could be beneficial for both, employees and employers/organisations. Employees could benefit from a better occupational well-being and more meaningful careers, while employers could benefit from more committed employees with enhanced productivity, work ability and possibly a longer career.

Objective. The purpose of this article was to assess the impact of selected elements of lifestyle, psychosocial working conditions and general mental health on older employees' ability to work. Methods. Employees (N = 1067) aged 50–65 years (M 54.8, SD 3.95) responded to a questionnaire on demographics, lifestyle characteristics, general mental health (general health questionnaire), psychosocial job characteristics (job content questionnaire) and work ability (work ability index [WAI]). A logistic regression model was used to assess the impact of the selected factors on work ability. Results. Older employees were characterized by good (44.4%) and moderate (36.4%) work ability. The average WAI scores were significantly higher among employees who did not smoke, consumed the recommended daily intake of vegetables, drank enough water, ate breakfast every morning, cut down on sweets and were on a vegetarian diet. Good physical (no sick leave) and mental health, high level of job control, low job insecurity and use of over-the-counter drugs were found to be the strongest predictors of WAI scores. Conclusions. The results of the research indicate that most of the determinants of work ability identified at work are impacted, thus giving the opportunity to conduct some occupational health and preventive programmes in the workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an analysis of research results on two categories of workers and job candidates - the youngest (under 25 years old) and the oldest (retired and pre-retirement). These age group cohorts are under the greatest pressure in the Russian labour market: the greatest difficulties in getting a job, age discrimination, etc. Paradoxically, these groups show not a difference but rather a similarity in their value orientations. They often experience latent and obvious discrimination from HR managers. As a result, in many respects these groups tend to have similar views about the labour market and their "life chances" to build a career and maintain income stability. The younger and older age groups are ready to interact with each other, but stereotypes about old age (prevalent in the country) make this process difficult. State policies that support certain age groups in the labour market often intensify intergenerational conflicts rather than hinder them. The Corona Virus pandemic has significantly affected the position of the youngest and oldest people in the labour market, putting them in a situation where they cannot apply for good jobs and have to accept any work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term associations of prolonged stress symptoms and work-related stressors with chronic diseases were assessed in a sample of ageing and retired food industry workers (N = 100, mean age 62 years) using independent samples t-test, chi-squared test and binary logistic regression analyses. Data was gathered at health checkups and using self-report questionnaires in 1989 and 2000. Prolonged stress symptoms were associated with overall morbidity. Higher scores of stress symptoms predicted musculoskeletal disorders, diseases of the nervous system, eye and ear, endocrine and metabolic diseases, and mental disorders. Of work-related stressors, only job dissatisfaction had a long-term association with endocrine and metabolic diseases. Importantly, prolonged stress symptoms could not be explained by job strain and demands. Identification of prolonged stress symptoms along with traditional and potential risk factors, and combining this knowledge with stress reduction and management is essential for disease prevention and in postponing subsequent onset of disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims : To examine the associations of mental health functioning with intentions to retire early among ageing municipal employees. Methods : Cross-sectional survey data ( n = 7,765) from the Helsinki Health Study in 2000, 2001, and 2002 were used. Intentions to retire early were sought with a question: “Have you considered retiring before normal retirement age?” The dependent variable was divided into three categories: 1 = no intentions to retire early; 2 = weak intentions; 3 = strong intentions. Mental health functioning was measured by the Short Form 36 (SF-36) mental component summary (MCS). Other variables included age, sex, physical health functioning (SF-36), limiting longstanding illness, socioeconomic status, and spouse's employment status. Multinomial regression analysis was used to examine the association of mental health functioning with intentions to retire early. Results : Employees with the poorest mental health functioning were much more likely to report strong intentions to retire early (OR 6.09, 95% CI 4.97–7.47) than those with the best mental health functioning. Adjustments for physical health, socioeconomic status, and spouse's employment status did not substantially affect this association. Conclusions : The findings highlight the importance of mental health for intentions to retire early. Strategies aimed at keeping people at work for longer should emphasize the importance of mental well-being and the prevention of poor mental health. More evidence is needed on why mental problems among ageing baby-boomer employees are giving rise to increasing social consequences, although the overall prevalence of mental problems has not increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]