[Quality of work and absenteeism: lower or higher in elderly workers?]

Data of the Quality of Life Surveys 1990-1993 (n = 9969) were used to examine if and to what extent elderly workers differ from younger workers with regard to perceptions of the quality of work, especially the workload, and to the percentage absence due to sickness. Adjusted for occupational level, educational level and sex, persons aged 60-64 were characterised by either a substantially lower or a similarly perceived workload as compared to those aged 55-59. Subsequently, adjusted for the occupational level, educational level, sex and perceived workload, a substantial lower rate of absenteeism was found for persons aged 60-64. To a certain extent comparable results were found in the comparison of persons aged 55-59 with those aged 45-54. Based on the low grade of job participation of the elderly, it is proposed that these favourable figures support the notion of an age-related healthy-worker selection in the Netherlands.