Page 117 - Petelin, Ana. 2020. Ed. Zdravje delovno aktivne populacije / Health of the Working-Age Population. Proceedings. Koper: University of Primorska Press.
P. 117
https://doi.org/10.26493/978-961-293-015-8.115-124
Hiring older people as a way to increase
diversity and improve the quality of society
Marjeta Logar Čuček
Ljubljana University Medical Centre, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery,
Zaloška cesta 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
marjetalogar@gmail.com
Abstract
Introduction: The co-called »new reality«, as observed both in Slovenia
and abroad, does not favour the employment of older population. Older
people, who are still active, are labelled as high-risk groups that need
special health care. The society expects an active participation of every
individual– being knowledgeable about the world, understanding the
events and environment leads us to value expertize, work experience and
critical reasoning of older employees. They need to be given an active
role, but not under conditions that drive a worker into absenteeism,
failing to appear at work, even without health reasons, or presenteeism,
being present at work at all costs. The latter, in particular, should not
be admissible. The current situation clearly shows that each individual
should be able to, if they fall ill, quarantine themselves. An employee
who understands when their behaviour might endanger others, should
never be dismissed by an employer as old or useless. The purpose of
this study is to find out to what extent the two phenomena have been
researched at the post-graduate level at medical faculties, faculty of
health sciences or health care faculties in Slovenia, considering various
risk factors present at work and maintaining effort to extend the years
of service of older employees. Methods: Master’s and Doctoral theses
from chosen faculties, published online between 2015 and 20202, have
been studied by using the PRISM protocol. The identified hits have
been described, analysed and evaluated. Results: Abstenteeism has been
researched in different postgraduate study programmes, including health
studies, whereas presenteeism, which is increasingly observed in current
time, has so far not been dealt with in the scope that would provide a
more thorough insight into finding solutions. The employment of older
population is presented in the sense of maintaining their physical fitness,
partially also as a stress-coping mechanism. The influences of other
psychosocial factors still remain insufficiently explored, considering the
Hiring older people as a way to increase
diversity and improve the quality of society
Marjeta Logar Čuček
Ljubljana University Medical Centre, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery,
Zaloška cesta 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
marjetalogar@gmail.com
Abstract
Introduction: The co-called »new reality«, as observed both in Slovenia
and abroad, does not favour the employment of older population. Older
people, who are still active, are labelled as high-risk groups that need
special health care. The society expects an active participation of every
individual– being knowledgeable about the world, understanding the
events and environment leads us to value expertize, work experience and
critical reasoning of older employees. They need to be given an active
role, but not under conditions that drive a worker into absenteeism,
failing to appear at work, even without health reasons, or presenteeism,
being present at work at all costs. The latter, in particular, should not
be admissible. The current situation clearly shows that each individual
should be able to, if they fall ill, quarantine themselves. An employee
who understands when their behaviour might endanger others, should
never be dismissed by an employer as old or useless. The purpose of
this study is to find out to what extent the two phenomena have been
researched at the post-graduate level at medical faculties, faculty of
health sciences or health care faculties in Slovenia, considering various
risk factors present at work and maintaining effort to extend the years
of service of older employees. Methods: Master’s and Doctoral theses
from chosen faculties, published online between 2015 and 20202, have
been studied by using the PRISM protocol. The identified hits have
been described, analysed and evaluated. Results: Abstenteeism has been
researched in different postgraduate study programmes, including health
studies, whereas presenteeism, which is increasingly observed in current
time, has so far not been dealt with in the scope that would provide a
more thorough insight into finding solutions. The employment of older
population is presented in the sense of maintaining their physical fitness,
partially also as a stress-coping mechanism. The influences of other
psychosocial factors still remain insufficiently explored, considering the
