In ten years time, little has changed in the approach to keep people over 50 satisfied at work for longer. Tempo-Team reports this, based on recent research in collaboration with KU Leuven. Moreover, the added value of the ‘silver fleet’ of people over 50 is still underestimated.
In a survey conducted by Tempo-Team in 2013, 40 percent of employers indicated that the loss of knowledge due to an aging population threatened to become a problem. Despite this fear, today only 11 percent of companies are making concrete efforts to avoid a brain drain due to an aging population.
“Now that the consequences of the aging population are being felt in general and at an accelerated pace in the workplace, there is still a lot of scope for companies to guide their older employees towards longer working hours of satisfaction and pleasure. By creating an inclusive work environment, in which older employees are valued and supported, we can ensure that they remain active in the labor market,” said Tempo-Team spokesperson Wim Van der Linden.
According to Tempo-Team, prejudices about older employees persist. In 2013, half of the employees expressed prejudices about older employees in terms of employability, learning motivation and health. Today that number has fallen sharply. Yet persistent prejudice persists among about one in three employees.
According to Tempo-Team, tackling the aging population is therefore not only a challenge for employers. Employees must also exchange their prejudices for the benefits that the over-50s offer in the workplace, it sounds.
The survey was conducted between November 10, 2022 and December 1, 2022 by an independent research agency commissioned by Tempo-Team and in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Anja Van den Broeck, work motivation expert at KU Leuven. About 2,500 employees and 250 employers in Belgium participated in the online survey.