Joint CEPS and AGE Platform Europe event under the umbrella of CEPS Ageing Societies programme and the FACTAGE project.
With a rapidly ageing population and extended life expectancy, many older workers across Europe are expected to have a longer working life and take on more caring responsibilities at home. They are likely to be the main carers of relatives at more senior ages, and to provide care for their spouse and/or adult children with special needs and grandchildren. Conventional policies on work-family reconciliation do not pay sufficient attention to the challenges faced by older workers, especially women who are still socially expected to bear the primary caring role.
This seminar aims to raise awareness of issues faced by older workers and to explore how policies could effectively respond to the challenges of their continuous inclusion in the labour market. It contains two presentations. The first focuses on the current development of policy and proposals on improving work-life balance for older workers. While employment rates of older workers are rising, a strong gender gap persists, part of which stems from the provision of informal care to relatives provided by older women. To tackle this issue, better reconciliation of work and family life via legislative measures is just as important as the provision of quality and affordable long-term care services.
The second presentation discusses the concepts of defamilisation, familisation and adult worker models, with a particular focus on the insights provided by these concepts into the analysis of the challenges faced by older women workers and lessons for policy makers. This presentation is based on the findings of an EU-funded research project on work-family reconciliation policies in Europe and East Asia. Participants are encouraged to contribute to the discussion both during and after the presentations. Anyone with a research and/or policy interest in older workers, carers, gender issues, work-life balance, work-family reconciliation and related areas would find this seminar particularly relevant.
Registration from 12.30 – Meeting from 13.15 to 14.30
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