Findings

Conceptual framework

The first deliverable for the ‘Extending working lives’ research field is a report on the conceptual framework (PDF, 298KB) which underpinned the work within this research field. The report aims to develop standards for identifying and assessing good practice in innovative, effective, sustainable and transferable strategies in age-related employment and (vocational) lifelong learning as well as identifying respective push- and pull-factors of influence.

Country specific reports for ten of the contributing countries:

Mapping the state of the art

The second deliverable comprises a set of reports which map the current state of the art of activities which can contribute to higher employment rates amongst older workers and a higher work intensity (for example, more full-time work instead of part-time work).

The state of the art is summarised on two main levels:

  1. The organisation/company level

  2. The level of national policies. This work has great standalone value, but will also act as a substantial input for future work.

Three interrelated reports are available:

  • Best practice cases (PDF, 3.6MB) – explores, at an organisational/employer level, more than 130 innovative and sustainable best practice cases. Examples from 13 countries are depicted, covering a wide range of activities in a wide range of organisations of varying size and sector. Both supply side and demand side approaches are included.

  • National policy report (PDF, 3MB) – reviews relevant national policies in 13 countries, as well as any available information on their effects on older workers’ employment rates.

  • Lifelong learning summaries (PDF, 1.8MB) – reviews the situation in training and further training in the same 13 EU countries.

Supplementary report on lifelong learning – Italian national report (PDF, 693KB)

Report on innovation and good practice EU-wide with special focus on selected EU and non-EU countries

This report is based on a set of in-depth case studies (PDF, 2MB) which have been selected for their estimated positive impact, transferability and degree of (social) innovation.

In order to cover a wide range of measures and a wide range of companies/organisations/social partners/public bodies, the selection of cases took place in co-ordination between partners and the research theme leader, guided by the conceptual framework (see Figure 1).

The conceptual framework provided overarching criteria for the balance of topics:

  • social innovation

  • the different dimensions and in particular of the multi-complexity of (the concept of) employability

  • life course orientation

  • work-life balance

  • quality of work and life

  • good practice

  • age management

  • mixed strategies

  • comprehensive approaches

Each example in the report includes sections on: how best practice measures are arranged (description), put into practice (implementation), if, how and under which circumstances these measures can be imitated by other companies/organisations/social partners/public bodies (transferability) and in which manner these measures can be considered innovative (innovation).

The cases are sorted by sphere of activity: health (and work despite health problems), lifelong learning, work after retirement age, flexible working times, reconciliation of paid work and family, unemployment, self-employment, awareness campaigns, and recruitment/labour demand. It shows how exemplary measures came into being (as far as information is available) and if and under which conditions these measures are transferable/imitable and therefore can serve as guidelines/recommendations for other companies, organisations, social and public bodies. The lessons learned from these case studies give insights into possible starting points for effective interventions.

Policy Brief

MoPAct Policy Brief 2 – Extending working lives (PDF, 277KB)