Flexicurity and human resources management for older workers in the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany and Belgium

This article presents the findings of a comparative survey done in the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany and Belgium. Against the background of the European debates on active ageing as well as on flexicurity, the main goal of this survey is to investigate to what extent 'flexicurity arrangements' are being implemented and used among workers aged 50-plus in the workplaces. The main conclusion is that there are large cross-national variances. The Dutch and Danish companies have implemented in a greater and broader extent Human Resources Management (HRM)-policies that provide flexibility for the company and at the same time job/work security for the older workers. This can be an explanation for the higher and more increasing employment rates among the 50-plus workers in these countries, compared tot the other two countries: Belgium and Germany. Although the national policy shifts in the four countries go in the same directions (life long learning, prevention of early retirement, etc.) the survey show large differences in the implementation at the company level. Furthermore, we see different approaches and initiating actors in the policies for the senior workers in the countries. Besides the cross-national variance we see large cross-sectional variance in the intensity and characteristics of flexicurity facilities.