BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS TO ACTIVE AGEING AS VIEWED BY EMPLOYERS AND TRADE UNIONS. SNAPSHOTS FROM POLAND

Abstract

The ageing of populations is a global challenge occurring in most countries, including Poland. It is believed that its impacts can be mitigated by developing and implementing the concept of active and healthy ageing. A large number of activities aimed at retaining older workers in employment can be created and carried out in the workplace with the participation of social partners, and many factors can support or hinder their cooperation. This qualitative study of barriers and facilitators to active ageing was carried out within a conceptual framework that combines the findings of rational choice theory, activity theory, and life course theory. Both barriers and facilitators are presented based on the opinions of Polish employers and trade union members collected during individual in-depth interviews (IDI) and workshop meetings (WM). These respondents and the research methodology used make the study the only one of its kind. As the first step, the five levels of barriers and facilitators to active ageing were identified: macro, sectoral and community, organisational, interpersonal, and individual. It turned out that the social partners believed that the majority of both barriers and facilitators to active ageing occurred at the macro level; therefore, only this perspective was presented. The interviews and workshop outcomes pointed to the need for cooperation and dialogue between active ageing stakeholders. They also revealed a large number of good active ageing practices in organisations and stressed the need to increase public awareness of the advisability of extending working lives.