A new paper has been published by 21 global experts from 5 continents with practical case studies to help older workers during a pandemic. These case studies can support replicating and scaling solutions across countries and regions.
COVID-19 and the ageing workforce: global perspectives on needs and solutions across 15 countries.
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Some case studies of what countries have done during COVID19:
- Staff sharing mechanisms across retail and hospitality led to innovation as restaurants would provide cooked meals to grocery stores (China).
- Many Living Labs exists throughout Japan to solve local employment issues in which older citizens actively participate in a community-based platform for open innovation and co-creation in collaboration with multiple-stakeholders (Japan).
- Younger workers taught older workers digital skills to start selling produce online, whilst older workers trained younger people in agribusiness (Thailand).
- Workers benefited from an employer funded 7.5% tax free contribution towards continuing learning (Israel).
- Paid leave for vulnerable workers (Austria).
- Local social workers were able to support vulnerable older people living alone through using new products based on artificial Intelligence (South Korea).
Some example solutions are:
- “Age inclusive manufacturing system solutions to provide future workstations for older workers;
- Living labs to solve local employment issues with older people as co-creators;
- Development of new business models (e.g. sharing of workers across different sectors);
- Encouraging senior entrepreneurship and business stimulation through policy, programs and funding opportunities;
- Provision of increased digital training and upskilling;
- Intergenerational skills transfer between urban young people (digital skills) and farmers (traditional farming methods);
- International learning collaboratives of organizations and companies;
- Local COVID-19 mental health programs and remote monitoring of older people;
- Job redesign and task shifting to reduce exposure to COVID-19 risk;
- Flexible working environments, including remote-work and flexible hours;
- Retraining of older workers to industries with workforce shortages such as health and aged care; and
- Reducing taxes, e.g. good and services tax for small businesses, and provision of tax incentives or funding schemes".
Solutions can be placed broadly in five categories:
- economic measures
- working from home
- cross industry collaboration to meet workforce shortages
- promotion of online businesses
- education and training
- intergenerational collaboration
- product innovation.
This paper has informed the development and can help the practical implementation of ISO 25550:2022 Ageing societies — General requirements and guidelines for an age-inclusive workforce.
Want to know more about what is in the paper? Click here
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References:
Pit, S.W., Fisk, M., Freihaut, W., Akintunde, F., Aloko, B., Berge, B., Burmeister, A., Ciacâru, A., Deller, J., Dulmage, R., Han, T.H., Hao, Q., Honeyman, P., Huber, P.C., Linner, T., Lundberg, S., Nwamara, M., Punpuing, K., Schramm, J, Yamada, H., Yap. J.C.H. (2021) COVID-19 and the ageing workforce: global perspectives on needs and solutions across 15 countries. International Journal for Equity in Health. 20 (221). Doi: 10.1186/s12939-021-01552-w