Abstract
As Denmark’s statutory pension age increases—projected to reach 70 by 2040—the question of how to retain older workers becomes increasingly relevant. Despite the current pension age of 67, more than half of employees aged 50+ report uncertainty about their ability to remain in work until retirement, due to physical and mental strain. Ensuring sustainable employment for older workers therefore requires proactive employer engagement and age-conscious workplace policies. While senior workforce practices have been studied in the public sector and large enterprises—often supported by formal HR departments—there is limited empirical knowledge about such practices in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which employ around 65% of Denmark’s private-sector workforce. This paper addresses this gap by examining how Danish SMEs manage and retain older employees. The study draws on qualitative data from 16 privately owned SMEs across different sectors and regions in Denmark, each with at least 15% senior employees. At each workplace, interviews were conducted with managers, employee representatives, senior employees, and younger staff, followed by a focus group with rank-and-file employees. Findings show that only a quarter of the workplaces have written senior policies—typically addressing reduced hours—but employees are generally unaware of them. Instead, an “open-door policy” dominates, leaving it to individuals to initiate adjustments. Even in workplaces with regular appraisals, senior arrangements remain informal and individually negotiated. Key barriers to retention include low job flexibility, perceptions that assistive tools are burdensome, and financial constraints among low-wage workers that limit their ability to reduce working hours.
Presenters
Per H JensenAdjunct Professor, Department of People and Technology, Roskilde University,, Denmark
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Economic and Demographic Perspectives on Aging
KEYWORDS
Older Worker, SMEs, Age Management, Workforce Retention, Qualitative Research
