Abstract
The ageing labour force is the one of the main challenges for the labour market in Lithuania. The working career of older employees very much depends on the policies and attitude of employers. Thus, the aim of this paper is to analyse the policies and attitudes of Lithuanian employers towards older employees. The data of Eurobarometer 76.2 in 2011 and the data of the employers’ survey in Lithuania in 2014 were used for the implementation of the goal. The construction, trade, education, health care and public administration sectors were selected on arbitrary basis. The respondents were surveyed by telephone. The sample of the survey included 216 managers or staff managers. The employers in primary data of Eurobarometer 76.2 were defined as general and middle managers. The data were analysed using the method of factor analysis. The secondary Eurostat data were used for the analysis of socioeconomic context. The legal norms were analysed using national documents. The main findings of the research reveal the general positive attitude of employers towards older workers in Lithuania. However, the existing workplace practice gives little encouragement for prolonging the working career in older age due to obsolete cultural and legal norms.
Highlights
European countries are facing an ageing population
The attitudes of employers towards older workers frame the perceptions of the abilities of older workers and the employment practices in workplace
The attitudes of employers towards older workers are influenced by state policy
Summary
European countries are facing an ageing population. This is linked to the extension of working life and adaptability of labour market to the change in the structure of employees by age. Lithuania as other European countries faces ageing population as well as the high emigration. The lack of labour force is nowadays on the agenda of public discussions. The strategy and discussions how to prolong the working life of older employees are not sufficient. The analysis of the obstacles to continue a career in the old age can provide new insights for policymakers
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