Stress and long hours take their toll on older workers

Workers in the UK increasingly fear that they will be unfit for work by the age of 60, despite government threats to make people work longer.

"Not dead yet", a report in the latest issue of Hazards magazine, compared European surveys and found that more than a third of UK workers think they may be unable to do their current job at 60 - well below the levels in Germany, the Netherlands and Scandinavia. Six years ago, UK workers were the most optimistic in Europe about working at 60.

Simon Pickvance, an occupational health researcher at Sheffield University, said the problem lies with working practices. "Over the last 30 years, older workers have been edged out of work as employers have looked for the super-fit to work flat out for long hours," he said. "Long hours and intense work have increased in UK almost uniquely in Europe, so older workers are at a particular disadvantage in the labour market."

The report points out that workers are living and staying healthier for longer. But it warns that intense, stressful and poorly designed work exacts a cumulative toll, so employer-run and government-supported "work ability" initiatives need to target workers in middle age in order for the workforce to remain "skilled up" and not worn down.

It also includes a checklist to help safety reps ensure that older workers' health and safety is dealt with properly. Older workers should be properly involved and consulted on matters such as risk assessments, health promotion, suitable work, training and sickness absence.

"Not dead yet" is available at www.hazards.org/olderworkers. For details of Hazards subscriptions, call 0114 201 4265.