Active ageing on the company level: the theory vs. the day-to-day practice in Slovenia

Abstract

The need to improve the labour market participation of older people has received ever greater attention in recent years, especially in view of the significant demographic changes the European Union will undergo due to population ageing. Besides the macroeconomic level, implications of this trend are strongly seen at the company level, particularly when it comes to managing the ageing workforce. Companies are thus introducing new approaches, policies and instruments which seek to foster the higher employment rates of the elderly by implementing the active-ageing concept in business and HRM practice. The paper aims to highlight the development of active-ageing initiatives within Slovenian companies where the practice of age management is still in its early stages. Consequently, we shed light on problems and obstacles appearing in the developmental process of implementing the active-ageing concept in Slovenian companies, and conclude with some recommendations for the future development of active-ageing practice with an emphasis on new HRM approaches, policies and instruments which seem to be extremely important when striving to prolong working life.