How do employers cope with an ageing workforce? Views from employers and employees

How age-conscious are human resource policies? Using a survey of Dutch employers, we examine how employers deal with the prospect of an ageing work force. We supplement our analysis with an additional survey of Dutch employees to compare human resource policies to practices. Results show that a small minority of employers are taking measures to enhance productivity (training programmes) or bring productivity in line with pay (demotion). Personnel policies tend to ‘spare’ older workers: giving them extra leave, early retirement, or generous employment protection: older workers who perform poorly are allowed to stay, whereas younger workers under similar conditions are dismissed. 1 Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI). P.O. Box 11650, NL-2502 AR The Hague, The Netherlands. E-mail: [email protected]. Tilburg University, Department of Economics. 2 Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI). E-mail: [email protected]. Tilburg University, Department of Sociology. 3 University of Utrecht, Utrecht School of Economics, Janskerkhof 12, NL 3511 BG Utrecht, The Netherlands. E-mail: [email protected]. van Dalen, Henkens & Schippers: How do employers cope with an ageing workforce? 1016 http://www.demographic-research.org