Evidence-based programs for the prevention of early exit from work

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Economics

Background:

• Aging populations and earlier retirement increase public pension and healthcare costs in Western societies.
• Extending working lives is essential to mitigate budget deficits, prompting policy changes in retirement benefits.
• Workforce aging necessitates workplace adaptations to maintain the well-being, capacity, and demands of older workers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the lack of scientific intervention studies on preventing early retirement while preserving work ability, health, productivity, and quality of life.
• To explore the feasibility of maintaining work capacity and well-being in an aging workforce.
• To identify the need for comparative studies on different approaches to prolonging working life across diverse conditions.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing studies on return-to-work after sick leave and lay-offs.
• Analysis of risk factors for early retirement.
• Examination of risk and health factors associated with maintained work ability.
• Inclusion of case studies providing indirect evidence.

Main Results:

• No direct intervention studies currently demonstrate successful prevention of early exits while maintaining key worker metrics.
• Indirect evidence from studies on return-to-work, re-entry, and risk factors suggests feasibility.
• Current research highlights the need for more comprehensive scientific investigation.

Conclusions:

• Adapting work environments is critical for enabling older workers to extend their careers without compromising health or quality of life.
• Further scientific research, including comparative studies in varied settings, is required to develop effective strategies.
• Evidence suggests that interventions to prevent early retirement are possible but require rigorous scientific validation.