Ageing workforce is a major trend that characterizes the demographic evolution of Europe, which generally affects the society, but also the organizations from economic and social point of view. Employers should change their negative perceptions of ageing workforce, whereas the changes that occur along with ageing are unable to influence the efficiency of work, assuming that a suitable strategy implemented to prevent and manage potential problems. The paper includes European and national statistics on the issue, a case study analysing the workforce ageing management in a Romanian manufacturing company, which has succeeded in achieving the active ageing target, and-on this basis-several good practice recommendations given on the approach employers should have on the workforce with regard to age.

Poland, traditionally a country with a Bismarckian pension system, implemented a reform in 1999 that transformed it into a multi-pillar system. However, some features of the new pension system are characterised by path dependent development. Privileges for certain beneficiaries, like a lower retirement age, were abolished in the new pension system, but were subsequently restored in part. This avoided the social and political costs that would have arisen if these privileges had been completely abolished. This paper analyses the process and outcome of the 1999 pension reform in Poland from the perspective of path dependence. It describes the political and economic framework in which the reforms took place, identifies the organised interests that were involved and argues that, while the introduction of the second and third pillar can be understood as path shaping, the change of the PAYG pillar is an incomplete path departure.

The article explores the trend towards early exit that has established itself over the last decades in most European countries, and the policies that 10 countries (Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Poland, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and the UK) have developed to tackle that problem. The research question is whether those reforms contribute to active ageing. The authors also analyse factors that may foster or hinder the success of pension reforms in achieving higher effective retirement ages. Among those factors, individual workers' retirement preferences, company policies, and general employment levels are of particular importance.

older workers premature exit retirement horizontal career personnel development employment mobility ICT tool

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