Enhancing the health and employment participation of older workers

The ageing of the Australian workforce has raised concerns about economic sustainability and prompted government polices to encourage longer working lives. However, the effectiveness of these policies is limited by a focus on individual workers rather than the organisations employing them. This chapter examines the strengths of older workers, the specific challenges they face and the implications of both for policy reform. It demonstrates that challenges concerning mental health, training and the ‘design of work’ demand stronger policy intervention if employment is to be effectively prolonged. The concept of ‘work ability’ is introduced as a framework for incorporating organisational considerations into policy development.