Age-Based Work Systems

Background

In Germany and other European countries the number of older employees is increasing and will continue to do so. At the same time there is a tendency of employees to retire from work earlier in life.

The combination of both developments is a problem for social security systems and also for the companies that have a demand for qualified employees.

For this reason, in recent years many broad initiatives were formed to fight a development which is increasingly considered a waste of human resources. Their aim is to change attitudes towards older employees und to give practical recommendations to companies, e.g. by providing examples of successful practice.

Unlike these initiatives there is still a lack of systematic research in the field of industrial science and related disciplines. Only a few approaches provide meaningful arguments and evaluations for the design of age-based systems.

Life Span Design of Age-Differentiated Work Systems

The present DFG Priority Program initiates a multi-disciplinary research project which focuses on the development of models reflecting the life span design of work systems. The aim is to create solutions that make it possible for older people to remain in employment.

These models based on empirical evidence are to establish a basis for the practical design of work systems.

The evaluation of how the models are being realized in practice - from the perspective of the individual employee and of the company - contributes to the validation of the theoretical models.

Against this background, the projects of the Priority Programme are to address the following issues:

• Age-specific distribution of tasks: What kind of tasks are appropriate for younger employees, and which for older employees?
• Age-specific design of work and work equipment: What organizational, technical and social conditions can improve the work ability and health of both younger and older employees?
• Age-specific personnel development: Which age-dependent variations of methods for personnel development can help maintain employer health and occupational performance?
• Influences of the working life: Which characteristics of work and working conditions has a cumulative impact on the aging process and the work ability?

Spokespersons

Coordinators of the Priority Program are Professors Christopher M. Schlick from RWTH Aachen University and Herbert Heuer from TU Dortmund University.