Age-friendliness encompasses all workplace practices that enhance the abilities of employees of different ages within working life. Age-friendly practices not only support older employees but also consider the needs of younger workers.
One of the key challenges in creating an age-friendly workplace is achieving successful age integration – ensuring that employees of different ages work effectively together, motivate one another, and share tacit knowledge (Työturvallisuuskeskus 2022; Centre for Ageing Better 2023a).
In general, age-friendliness refers to the ability of society, services, and products to meet the needs and expectations of different age groups. An age-friendly environment considers the physical, mental, and social needs of individuals across various ages and life stages, enabling their active participation in societal functions. Successful intergenerational collaboration helps eliminate age discrimination.
In Finnish working life, age-friendliness is a significant development challenge. One of the policy aims is to keep employees in the workforce for as long as possible (Tevameri 2022, 56–62). The declining birth rate combined with an ageing workforce challenges the dependency ratio, prompting concerns about skills shortages. Retaining every healthcare and social sector professional is crucial, along with strengthening the sector’s attractiveness and retention power. Workforce recruitment from abroad will also be needed, inevitably leading to more diverse workplaces. (Kokkinen 2020, 53–71.)
Extending careers is one of the Finnish government’s objectives, requiring a commitment to enhancing workplace attractiveness and retention (Valtioneuvosto 2022). Age-friendliness is essential in preventing premature retirement caused by workplace challenges and supporting employees’ willingness to remain in work. A positive workplace atmosphere makes it easier for older employees to continue working long-term and even taking occasional temporary shifts after retiring.
According to the Finnish public pension institution’s (KEVA) study, 28% of retirees are open to temporary work during retirement. The top three motivators for working alongside a pension were:
- feeling needed
- a sense to still have something to contribute to working life
- additional income.
Older employees want to experience meaningful work even in retirement, and for many, belonging to a work community is essential. Additional income is also welcome. (KEVA 2021.) Strengthening intergenerational collaboration also reduces age discrimination.
Ageism in the workplace
Age is a protected characteristic under equality law, and discrimination is prohibited under labour legislation (Finlex.fi 2002). Ageism, or age-based prejudice and unequal treatment, can affect individuals of any age, often manifesting itself as derogatory language or discriminatory practices (Centre for Ageing Better 2023b; Centre for Ageing Better 2023c; Fast et al. 2023, 107–130).
Ageism is categorised as institutional when it refers to inequalities within legislation or services, interpersonal when it involves prejudice about older people’s abilities or appearance, or self-inflicted when an individual believes ageing limits their participation in certain activities (Työturvallisuuskeskus 2022; Fast et al. 2023, 175–182).
In working life, ageism can lead to early retirement or exclusion. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), ageism can be understood in three layers: our beliefs (stereotypes), our feelings (prejudices), and our actions (discrimination) toward others – or even ourselves – based on age. When combined, these behaviours can negatively impact both physical and mental health, potentially reducing a person’s lifespan by up to seven and a half years. (WHO n.d.; Stypińska & Turek 2017, 49–61.)
A comprehensive study shows that ageist behaviour in the workplace manifests itself in two forms: hard and soft. Hard age discrimination refers to illegal or forbidden actions such as firing, demoting, or harshly harassing someone because of their age. Soft discrimination includes less overt actions like inappropriate jokes or remarks, which are not necessarily illicit and usually occur during interpersonal interactions. This softer form is more common, with women encountering it more frequently than men. Because soft discrimination is largely based on stereotypes, it can lead to undervaluing coworkers’ contributions and skills. (Stypińska & Turek 2017, 49–61.)
Positive ageism highlights older employees’ strengths, favouring them in appointments and allowing them to utilise their experience and expertise to mentor younger employees. Such practices also facilitate better use of the strengths of employees of all ages. (Työturvallisuuskeskus 2022; Centre for Ageing Better 2023c.)
Recognising the good practices supporting age-friendliness in working life
Age-friendly certifications, such as those of the UK’s Centre for Ageing Better and the USA’s Age-Friendly Institute, are awarded to employers meeting specific criteria. These criteria include valuing employees’ qualifications, supporting those over 50 to remain in work, and offering competitive pay and benefits with flexibility for older employees. (Centre for Ageing Better n.d.; Age-Friendly Institute n.d.)
A volunteer citizen-led working group in Finland is advocating for the establishment of an age certification system. Although representatives from the SAFE project initially participated in this group, their involvement has diminished as the focus of the age certificate’s development has shifted to the private sector. Nevertheless, we continue to support the ongoing development work. Currently Excellence Finland is leading the development efforts in collaboration with private companies. The Finnish version of the age certificate is scheduled to be piloted in the spring of 2025.
Open conversation and transparency in work communities are evolving. Early recognition and support, in the form of job modifications, is important when an employee’s ability to perform work tasks is at risk. The early support model aims to strengthen work ability, prevent premature retirement, and reduce absenteeism. Developing support structures to foster age-friendliness is a future direction.
Biases about employees of different ages
Could we better utilise intergenerational cooperation and knowledge-sharing as a strength in workplaces? Could experienced employees offer resilience and tacit knowledge, while younger employees bring in fresh knowledge and digital skills that benefit the workplace?
Workplaces also face cognitive biases toward different age groups (Kohrman 2013). Talking about age-friendliness in working life involves addressing these biases. Some biases are deeply rooted, such as the shift in perceptions of what age qualifies as ‘older’. Decades ago, a fifty-year-old might have received a rocking chair as a gift from their employer – how would that feel today? Conversely, stereotypes about younger employees persist, like preoccupation with their own demands and preferences in working life.
Creating an age-friendly workplace involves recognising the significance and value of older employees by:
- committing to improving working life for employees aged 50 and over
- adopting a positive attitude toward age, supporting older employees to remain in the workforce through career guidance
- including age equality, diversity, and inclusion in workplace policies.
Age-friendly actions require a proactive attitude in organisations and leadership. Discussions with ageing employees about continued work should also begin early, thus benefitting also society. Diehl, Dzubinski and Stephenson (2023) argue that women in leadership face unrecognised ageism at every age. You cannot solve a problem if you do not admit it. The authors argue that necessary improvements can be made, for example, by:
- recognising and accepting the existence of age bias – even when diversity programmes focus on sexism and racism
- using real-life case studies to debunk myths like older workers being less agile or committed
- considering using your company’s social media to help raise awareness
- addressing lookism by understanding that judging based on looks, especially pressuring women to look young, is unfair
- making sure training covers how appearance should not affect hiring, promotions, or evaluations
- focusing on skills by avoiding assumptions that younger employees lack experience or that older employees are less productive
- making sure that hiring and promotions are based on skills and contributions, not age or personal responsibilities
- encouraging intergenerational collaboration by building mixed-age teams to foster mentoring and sharing diverse perspectives
- facilitating mentorship between younger employees and seasoned professionals, which can break down age barriers and boost overall performance.
An ageing workforce represents a valuable resource during labour shortages, and developing age-friendly practices enables its effective utilisation. Open discussions about different career stages benefit everyone, offering older employees options to continue working and portraying age-friendly employers as responsible to younger workers. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s government’s employment goals include proposals for labour policy measures to increase the employment rate among people over 55. In addition, the employment goals are based on the objective of combatting age discrimination and removing obstacles to the employment of older people.
The national TYÖ2030 – WORK 2030 programme for advancing the development of working life in collaboration with various stakeholders also aims at encouraging older adults to remain at work and reducing the number of people applying for disability pension.
References
Age-Friendly Institute n.d. Certified Age Friendly Employer Program. Age-Friendly Institute. Accessed 19 February 2025.
Centre for Ageing Better n.d. Becoming an age-friendly employer. Centre for Ageing Better. Accessed 22 February 2025.
Centre for Ageing Better 2023a. Ageism. What’s the Harm? Centre for Ageing Better. Accessed 17 February 2025.
Centre for Ageing Better 2023b. Action today for all our tomorrows’. Centre for Ageing Better. Accessed 26 February 2025.
Diehl, A., Dzubinski, L.M. & Stephenson, A.L. 2023. Women in leadership face ageism at every age. Harvard Business Review. Accessed 22 February 2025.
Fast, M., Helenius, P., Holma, L., Levander, M., Mikkilä, A., Sera, S., Suvisaari, S. & Vatanen, T. 2023. Ikädiversiteetillä menestykseen. Kauppakamari. Printon, Estonia. Also available as an e-book.
Finlex.fi 2002. Työturvallisuuslaki 738/2002. Accessed 19 February 2025.
Hirvensalo, M., Eläketutkimus 2021 – eläkkeellä töissä. Keva publications.
Kohrman, D.B. 2013. As more workers age, bias and insecurity persist. Ageing Today.
Kokkinen, L. (ed.) 2020. Hyvinvointia työstä 2030. TTL publications, Puna-Musta, Tampere.
Stypińska, J. & Turek, K. 2017. Hard and soft age discrimination: the dual nature of workplace discrimination. European Journal of Ageing, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 49-61. Accessed 25 February 2025.
Tevameri, T. 2022. Sosiaali- ja terveyspalvelualan työvoima ja yrityskenttä. TEM toimialaraportit 2022:2. Accessed 22 February 2025.
Työturvallisuuskeskus 2022. Monimuotoisuus, yhdenvertaisuus ja tasa-arvo työyhteisössä. Accessed 26 February 2025.
Valtioneuvosto 2022. Government Programme of PM Marin. Accessed 25 February 2025.
WHO n.d. Ageism. Accessed 25 February 2025.
Authors
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Liisa Nuutinen
Senior lecturer, Metropolia University of Applied SciencesMaster of Health Sciences and PhD student Liisa Nuutinen works as a senior lecturer in Sustainable Leadership and Development in Social and Health Care, a Master of Health Care degree programme at Metropolia UAS.
About the author -
Heini Maisala-McDonnell
Senior lecturer, Metropolia University of Applied SciencesMaster of Health Care and Master of Orthopedic Manual Therapy (USA) Heini Maisala-McDonnell works as a senior lecturer in Health Business Management, a Master of Health Care degree programme and in other international degree programmes at Metropolia UAS.
About the author