Standards and ageing workforce: the PROGRESSIVE contribution to adaptive and inclusive workplaces

The notion of ‘Active and Healthy Ageing’ (AHA), one of the touchstones of the PROGRESSIVE Project, is not just a matter of healthy lifestyles. It recognises that older people can be workers, innovators, entrepreneurs, carers, politicians, community activists and more.
Demographic realities have obliged our societies to adapt our welfare systems. The extension of working lives in many European countries has led to an increase in the number of older workers. Yet standards, certification schemes, and procedures framing our work environments are only incrementally adapting to the diversification and ageing of the workforce. The publication by the European Commission of a call for proposals on adaptive smart working and living environments supporting active and healthy ageing (SC1-DTH-03-2018) demonstrates the current shortfalls.
The PROGRESSIVE project is thus exploring how to ensure that future standards increasingly encourage designs and approaches for products, services and environments that are fit for all, as we age. This paradigm change would lead to more inclusive labour markets offering flexible work organisation and partial retirement as well as workplaces adapted to everyone’s abilities and pace.