Working Late

Working Late is a four year NDA Collaborative Research Project (CRP) which will address practice and policy relevant issues associated with later life working and develop interventions and design solutions to promote health and productivity and improve the quality of working life of older people.

Investigator(s)

• Cheryl Haslam, Loughborough University
• Kevin Morgan, Loughborough University
• Hilary McDermott, Loughborough University
• Joanne Crawford, Institute of Occupational Medicine
• Stacy Clemes, Loughborough University
• Martin Lindley, Loughborough University
• Diane Gyi,Loughborough University
• Roger Haslam, Loughborough University
• Colette Nicolle, Loughborough University
• Martin Maguire, Loughborough University
• Alistair Gibb, Loughborough University
• Laurie Cohen, Loughborough University
• Fehmidah Munir, Loughborough University

Top row, left to right: Aadil Kazi, Michael Clark, Gideon De Wet,

Middle row: Martin Maguire, Kevin Morgan, Hilary McDermott, Joanne Crawford, Fehmidah Munir, Elaine Williams, Zara Whysall, Myanna Duncan

Front row: Alistair Gibb, Colette Nicole, Lois Kerr, Stacy Clemes, Cheryl Haslam, Lan Gien, Diane Gyi, Rachael Ball Risk, Jennifer Rice, Roger Haslam.

Partners

• The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA)
• COPE Occupational Health Services.
• BT
• Major Contractors Group (MCG)
• E.on (utilities)
• PPG (manufacturing)
• I-Smart (consultancy working with major transport companies and services industries)
• Paul Miller, Astra Zeneca

Expert advisory groups

• UNISON
• Transport Research Laboratory (TRL)
• The Age and Employment Network (TAEN)
• Health and Safety Executive

Contact details

Cheryl Haslam

Background

The increasing age of the UK workforce presents major challenges for government, occupational health services, employers, workers and their families. It is now essential to facilitate an extended working life by maintaining the health and productivity of older workers and by facilitating a healthy working environment.

Aims/objectives

1. Adopt continuous and active engagement with agencies, employers and older workers to guide the research process and deliver effective and wide ranging dissemination of the findings and outputs.
2. Identify barriers and facilitators to working late, including the conflict between employment, family care responsibilities, the impact of age discrimination legislation and the logistics of the journey to work.
3. Identify optimal, evidence based occupational health provision and collate current best practice in occupational health services accommodating the older worker.
4. Develop, implement and evaluate workplace interventions to promote the health and workability of workers across the life course. This CRP will produce evidence based interventions and innovative health education materials to promote health at work.
5. Focus on the work environment to develop design models for an inclusive workplace which optimises health, well being, safety and productivity of workers across the life course.

Policy implications

This research has the potential to make a major impact on employment policy and practice and the occupational health provision for older workers. The CRP will also develop design models to facilitate inclusive workplace design and promote the health, well being, safety and productivity of workers of all ages.

The research will generate:

• examples of the impact of age discrimination legislation on older workers’ opportunities for employment and work experiences
• guidance for employers with regard to supporting and maintaining older workers
• recommendations for journey planning, transport solutions and transport technologies
• examples of best practice in occupational health provision for the older workforce
• fully evaluated health interventions and innovative health education materials
• guidance disseminated to occupational health providers, organisations, employer federations and trade unions
• recommendations for specifying equipment and workspace design to accommodate the older worker

Product development:

The Organiser for Working Late (OWL) design resource will be co-developed iteratively with key stakeholders from participating organisations. The web based resource will comprise a suite of participatory design tools, design simulations, personal design stories, video clips, and databanks to facilitate individuals working late. The aim will be to encourage employers to understand, engage with and respond positively to diversity within the workforce, whilst stimulating and supporting those responsible for work design decisions.