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Aging and shift work : a complex problem to face
journal contribution
posted on 2017-12-06, 00:00 authored by G Costa, Vitale Di MiliaVitale Di MiliaThe baby boomer generation is well into the 50+ age bracket, making it one of the largest demographic age cohorts. Whereas this cohort would have previously considered retirement, the evidence suggests that it will remain in the workforce for a longer period in response to a number of social and economic drivers. Mandatory retirement has either been abolished or is under consideration. An increased and healthier life expectancy means that people may work longer for financial and/or psychological reasons. In addition, a global shortage of skilled labor will result in efforts to keep employees in the workplace for longer periods. These trends have a number of implications for working time. What are the health implications of an aging workforce? How do we sustain good work ability into the latter years? What do we know about aging and shift work? What actions are required in the workplace to assist aging workers? This paper is not a comprehensive review of the literature but serves to highlight the complexities in understanding the relationship between shift work and aging. We discuss aging and human function and, in particular, the impact of aging on the circadian system. In addition, we outline new policy directions in this area and raise several suggestions to assist the well-being of aging workers.
Funding
Category 1 - Australian Competitive Grants (this includes ARC, NHMRC)
History
Volume
25Issue
2-3Start Page
165End Page
181Number of Pages
17eISSN
1525-6073ISSN
0742-0528Location
Philadlphia, PA, USAPublisher
Informa Healthcare; Taylor and FrancisLanguage
en-ausPeer Reviewed
- Yes
Open Access
- No
External Author Affiliations
Centre for Social Science Research; Faculty of Business and Informatics; Università di Milano;Era Eligible
- Yes