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Healthy work in an ageing Europe

5th Initiative (2004 - 2006)

The project was headed by the Austrian NCO Oberösterreichische Gebietskrankenkasse.

Demographic developments are presenting new challenges to enterprises and social security systems in Europe. The total working age population in the European Union is due to fall by 20.8 million between 2005 and 2030. Over the next few decades there will be a marked increase in the proportion of elderly people in employment and the proportion of younger employees will decrease significantly due to continuing low birth rates.

At present, employees over 45 years of age are often perceived as too old for a job, but this age group will very soon represent the major part of the workforce. In the future, enterprises in Europe will depend more than ever on qualified, motivated and in particular healthy employees. And if social security systems continue to function economically, employees will have to keep working longer in gainful employment.

During the 5th Initiative, the ENWHP therefore focussed on strategies that enable employees to remain longer in gainful employment. They were categorised and published according to countries and instruments.

The project pursued the following objectives:

  • To improve workplace health and well-being of the ageing workforce
  • To increase awareness of all stakeholders to recognise the needs of an ageing workforce and to respond to the impacts of an ageing workforce on workplace health and well-being
  • To identify, analyse, document and disseminate models of good practice for workplace health promotion in the context of an ageing workforce
  • To develop a toolbox for promoting workplace health and well-being for ageing workers

Results of the project were published and discussed in June 2006 at the 5th European Conference in Linz:  

  • Report of the 5th european conference on promoting workplace health entitled "HEALTHY WORK IN AN AGEING EUROPE" (PDF 1.2 MB)
  • Oskar Meggeneder, Christian Boukal: Healthy Work in an Ageing Europe - A European Collection of Measure for Promoting the Health of Ageing Employees at the Workplace, 2005 (PDF 4.08 MB)
  • Martina Morschhäuser, Reinhold Sochert: Healthy Work in an Ageing Europe - Strategies and Instruments for Prolonging Working Life, 2006 (PDF 0.6 MB)