Tinka van Vuuren

Purpose: This paper examines how job resources influence older workers’ willingness to continue working (WCW) in their current roles, with the mediating role of job satisfaction (JS) and moderating role of job category (support, professional and manager). Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from 432 employees aged 50 and older in a Dutch local government through an online questionnaire. Linear regressions with bootstrapping tested mediation, and the Hayes method assessed moderation. Findings: JS mediated the relationship between job resources and WCW, fully for job autonomy and social support and partially for learning opportunities. Job category moderated the relationship between JS and WCW, showing a strong association among older professionals, and employees in support roles and none in managerial positions. Research limitations/implications: The cross-sectional design limits causal inferences. Practical implications: The results reaffirm the important role of job resources in influencing JS and WCW. It suggests that managers and Human Resources (HR) professionals consider differences in job categories when redesigning roles for older employees to motivate them to continue working. Originality/value: This paper reveals that older employees with access to job resources are willing to continue working their current job, with JS mediating this relationship. The findings uniquely show that the relationship between JS and WCW is moderated by job category.

How to age successfully: Thematic issue ‘Age at work’ (part 2) This is the editorial for the second part of the special issue ‘Age at Work’. Four articles are featured in this second part. The first article examines the role of job crafting for sustainable careers among healthcare workers, in relation to age. The second article studies how experienced economic skills obsolescence relates to developmental opportunities at work, and the role of psychological resources and age within this relationship. The third article analyses how HR bundles aimed at ‘successful aging at work’ influence turnover intention via work engagement among wind turbine technicians. The fourth article, drawing on self-determination theory and Schwartz’s theory of basic values, examines the associations between personal values, experienced autonomy, and bridge employment after retirement. Together, the studies show how HR practices, job crafting, and resources support successful aging at work across diverse work contexts.

Be loyal to your future self: Which interventions strengthen sustainable employability? The population in the Netherlands and Belgium has been aging in recent decades. It is therefore important that employers and workers pay more attention to sustainable employability so that workers can continue working longer. Sustainable employability requires that you are loyal to your future self. To achieve this, workers must deal sustainably with their vitality, work ability, and employability. In this abbreviated version of my farewell speech, I look back on 40 years of research into sustainable employability. How has my research contributed to insights into what constitute the most important building blocks for sustainable employability? And which interventions help to strengthen sustainable employability?

Myths, prejudices, and facts: Thematic issue ‘Age at work’ (part 1) This is the editorial for the first part of the special issue ‘Age at work’. Four articles are featured in this first part. The first two articles address the differences in work performance across age groups, the myths surrounding this, and the facts. The third article in this issue focuses on the actual differences in mental health within one age group: younger workers. The first two articles of this special issue also discuss how to combat prejudices and stereotypes about older workers. The fourth article focuses on the causes of sustainable employability and interventions to enhance sustainable employability. Older workers who are sustainably employable demonstrate that the prejudices against older workers are unfounded. Together, the articles in this special issue show that the aging workforce compels us to reconsider our perspectives on age, employability, and careers.

Counteracting ageism: How professionals can make a difference In recent years, the proportion of employed individuals aged 55 and over has continued to rise, and labour experts are increasingly working with older clients. Ageism (stereotyping, prejudices, and discrimination based on age) deprives individuals of opportunities and possibilities. Ageism may also play a role in the services of labour experts. This study comprises a literature review, an interactive questionnaire among labour experts, and focus groups with these professionals. The findings reveal that labour experts hold biases and stereotypes about older individuals. Furthermore, labour experts aged 50 or younger and those who wish to retire earlier tend to stereotype older individuals more. The questionnaire remains open as a tool for learning and reflection. A reframing approach was developed in co-creation with the labour experts to address and counteract ageism in their professional practice.

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Canavitality appcontribute to a better lifestyle and greater well-being at work? Many Dutch people exercise too little. All the while, more exercise seems to be healthy for everyone, and good for the well-being and productivity of employees. Tools such as pedometers and apps appear to be able to support employees who want to exercise more to achieve their wish. In this article, based on a longitudinal study among 126 employees in primary education, we examine the role of a smartphone application that uses activity trackers to improve exercise, well-being and functioning. This vitality app rewards participants financially if they exercise more. The results show that using the app over the course of one year is associated with an improvement in participants’ lifestyle. They exercise more intensively and moderately intensively, and sit slightly less in their free time. The use of the app also seems to contribute indirectly to the work ability of the participants, especially among employees who have become more active during the study period and were previously less active. Longer-term effects are still unclear.