EBA

Project lead
Prof. Dr. Lutz Bellmann (IAB)
Dr. Ute Leber (IAB)
Prof. Dr. Peter Guggemos (HdBA)
Prof. Dr. Sebastian Brandl (HdBA)

Project staff
Dr. Ingo Matuschek

Third-party funding provider
Hans-Böckler-Stiftung (Trust), Project number: 2014-800-3

The project aims to bridge the gap between the discourse on demographic change (DW) and securing skilled labour, which is characterised by a high level of awareness of the problem, and the low level of company activities for older employees repeatedly shown through various studies, by means of empirical analyses. It should expose the issues that companies feel they are faced with when they take to providing for older people (further training, health, jobs for those who can no longer work at full capacity, etc...) or to integrating the 50+ into the workforce.
The question is, to what extent the implementation of present measures found in literature are still relevant for the increase in numbers of older people in companies, whether there are now new ones or whether companies have their own, undocumented strategies to deal with older employees. It can, however, also be assumed that the gap between public approval of the paradigm shift towards longer working lives and actual company policies will continue to exist. This would mean that, in spite of the average ageing of the workforce, the focus remains on early retirement as well as classic recruitment strategies, and that measures for older workers are not seen as especially necessary. It can also be assumed that following initial measures such as age structure analyses, no independent dynamics have developed in terms of the management of company pensions. These restrictions would need to be removed.

The problem is likely to be the most prevalent in areas where activities to combat demographic change are already in place. The validity of demographic collective agreements, activities by social partners and model projects point to a corresponding awareness among labour policy players and suggest an industry-specific research approach. The chemical industry is a prime example: The possible ambivalence hinted at in the operational design of the DW is evident in the chemical industry in the implementation of the collective agreements on working time arrangements appropriate to the stage of life (north-east) and working life and demographics (nationwide). These also contain provisions for the financing of early retirement.

Investigations are based on a two-step approach. The first qualitative step involves the carrying out of expert interviews with working councils as well as Human Resources representatives in both East and West Germany. Their particular role in the introduction and execution of provisions for older workers stems from the question of whether or how the shift away from the early retirement paradigm is implemented in companies. It is not only companies that evidently feel obliged to have age-sensitive employment strategies that are investigated, but also those who have not yet been able to get past the initial stages. The second step sees the results of qualitative surveys used as the basis for a standardised company survey. The aim is to achieve a representative overview of the chosen sector.

Prof. Sebastian Brandl and Dr. Ingo Matuschek held a presentation entitled, "Nachhaltige Arbeit? Gesellschaftliche Naturverhältnisse, subjektivierte Arbeit und sozial-ökologische Transformationsdiskurse" (Sustainable work? Social Relations with Nature, Subjectivised Work and Social-Ecological Transformation Discourses) at the 38th Congress of the German Sociological Association from 26th to 30th September 2016 in Bamberg. This was based on the findings of the HdBA project "Recruitment and (continued) employment of older people -  measures for older employees using the chemical industry as an example - EBA", which was carried out together with Prof. Guggemos in cooperation with the IAB.

The aim of the presentation was to get to the bottom of the increasing tendency towards self-optimisation to maintain work capacity and performance, including corresponding company activities, and to assess the impact on "labour as a commodity". It focused on both the attractiveness as well as the limitations of health-related human resources work, its relevance with regard to interest politics, and a general sociological classification of the phenomen.

As part of the "New Quality of Work Initiative", Prof. Peter Guggemos (HdBA) presented selected findings from the HdBA project "Attitudes and (Continued) Employment of Older People – Measures for Older Employees Using the Example of the Chemical Industry – EBA", conducted together with Prof. Sebastian Brandl and Dr. Ingo Matuschek in cooperation with the IAB, at the 24th meeting of the "Demography Expert Group (TIK 30,40,50plus – Ageing in Employment") at the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in Berlin.

There was great interest in findings which reflect a more case-specific problem of companies and a somewhat ad hoc approach to agemanagement that goes beyond elaborate systemic methods. They were regarded as "disillusion through practice" and thus point to the enormous significance of projects such as EBA, which use qualitative social research methods to gain in-depth insights into the world of work.

Please find further information on results of companies surveys and case studies 2016.