April/May 2009 (vol. 05/6)

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Age, health and work

Should we worry about the impact of health on older workers?

Summary:

Older workers are at risk of discrimination in employment and subject to frequently unfounded beliefs about the impact of health on work. Mike O’Donnell believes that a change in attitude as well as legislation is now vital, and supports the concept of workability in managing an ‘ageing’ workforce.

THE debate about age discrimination and legislation has continued for years in the UK, with very little real apparent effort to end the problem until the start of the millennium. In the previous economic downturns of the 1980s and 1990s, older employees were often the ones encouraged to leave their employment as well as being the ones who apparently most…

Professor Michael O’Donnell is chief medical officer with the disability insurer Unum.

Author: O'Donnell M

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Occupational Health at Work April/May 2009 (vol. 05/6) pp38-41

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