Considerations for physical employment standards in the aging workforce

Abstract

BACKGROUND: If current population and health trends continue, workplace demographics will look significantly different by the turn of the century. Organizations will no longer have a steady pipeline of younger workers and will likely need to rely on older workers to remain competitive in the global marketplace. The future multi-generational workforce will bring with it the challenge of maximizing contributions from each generation whilst at the same time addressing the health, safety and wellbeing needs of all workers. OBJECTIVE: This review provides an insight into aging and older workers, and presents recommendations to promote worker longevity. METHODS: This narrative review draws on evidence from 108 published sources. RESULTS: The relationship between age and work is not simple; factors including the physical nature of the job and worker's health and fitness interact with age to either increase or decrease the potential effect of age. Evidence suggests that the issues arising from an aging workforce can be managed through polices that focus on active aging through: attitude management; flexible working and the provision of occupational health. CONCLUSION: The integration of such interventions would require company and organizational commitment from the top down with educational programs at all levels to ensure understanding and participation.

Sleep Problems and Workplace Violence: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Workers are presumed to be the major victims of sleep deprivation epidemics and the 24/7 society, even if time-use studies have not always corroborated this hypothesis (Lamote de Grignon Pérez et al, 2019). Aging of the population and the workforce has also exposed older people who often suffer from sleep disorders or have difficulty adapting their biorhythms to occupational risks (violence included; Flower et al, 2019). Furthermore, since the continual increase in violence in the workplace has recently been described as an “epidemic” (Rousseau et al, 2019), this study emphasizes the need to prevent violence in the workplace and improve sleep hygiene in workers.…”

Supporting active ageing before retirement: a systematic review and meta-analysis of workplace physical activity interventions targeting older employees

“…Hence, recently physical employment standards for older employees have been suggested. 7 The workplace has long been considered a good setting for health promotion, and many PA interventions have been conducted in this setting, with the first systematic review of their effectiveness published in 1998. 11 However, we have not identified any systematic reviews of workplace PA interventions that specifically targeted older employees.…”

Occupational Physical Activity and Health-Related Quality of Life among Nigerian Vocational-Skilled Workers

“…Furthermore, comparing OPA with leisure-time PA, it appears that leisure-time PA is more relaxing, enjoyable and does not require elaborate mental exertion during participation. Moreover, the longer duration of time expended during OPA usually exceeds the recommended maximum daily period of 30 minutes a day for health benefits concerning participation in leisuretime PA [8,32]. Mental fatigue caused by the extended duration of activities may account for poor mental health outcomes during OPA.…”

“…In addition, occupational physical activity (OPA) associated with some occupations such as manual labor and vocational jobs is on the rise among citizens of developing economies due to growing population and unemployment challenges [6]. These occupations require job-related activities that involve regular bodily movements, use of considerable large muscle groups, and substantial energy expenditure which may have the same effects similar to that of leisure-time PA [7,8]. Vocational skills are manual works that individuals learn in a special area of interest.…”