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CHAPTER 2
Do European employers support longer working lives? 39

considered and tailor-made instead of mass produced programmes are
offered. Programmes need to be designed on a situational basis and build on
the skill-base of older and more experienced employees.
Examples of mentoring programmes show benefits for both mentor and
mentee and lead to higher retention rates. Older workers who take on the
mentor role feel more valued and more attached to their organisation. Dealing
with younger employees also improves their social network and their
understanding of new social networking technologies. Junior mentees gain
from mentoring programmes as they adapt faster to a new working
environment and technical knowledge and learned techniques are passed on
by older and experienced mentors.
More down to earth there is a need for supervisors to raise the issue of
working longer and discuss what could be done to keep work interesting and
make employees eager to work longer. Most often older workers retirement
decisions are thought to be a personal matter and supervisors do not like to
interfere in personal matters. However, in-depth qualitative case studies of
strategies and tools implemented by the fair play for older workers project
show that the better the social support of supervisors and colleagues, the
greater the likelihood that employees will stay on the job.

2.5. Conclusion and discussion

Findings of the study show a discrepancy between aims of the EU and the
five Member States of the research project in stimulating labour force
participation of ageing workers and attitudes of individual employers. Working
longer depends largely on employersʼ willingness to employ and retain older
workers. As long as employers perceive older workers as a burden and
neglect investing in human capital, they will not be the major driving force
needed for prolongation of working lives.
Results show ambivalence among employers regarding the need for older
workers to stay in the labour market. On one hand there is a sense of urgency
among employers regarding demographic challenges on the labour market,
but on the other they are reluctant to support later retirement of employees.
This is caused by the perception of employers that ageing workers are a
burden rather than a benefit. In each country involved in the study, the number
of employers expecting costs of ageing due to lower productivity of older
workers and higher labour costs, is by far larger than the number of employers
expecting benefits. As a consequence, most employers oppose workers being
employed beyond the age of 60.