On cover: Working environment.

In Scandinavia, work in elderly care is a principal occupation and constitutes an important part of professional care work. Over the last decade, this sector has become a test piece for New Public Management (NPM). It is the area where NPM-inspired rationales and methodologies have been applied to the greatest extent. This book explores the challenges and future possibilities in elderly care from a working life perspective. Researchers from three Scandinavian countries present new studies of the daily work in elderly care, the change of tasks and services, and the reconstruction of a semi-profession. The specific translation of NPM into the Scandinavian context is examined, and how this affects: the meaning and identity of work in elderly care and the possibilities to reconstruct meaning under standardized working conditions * the new ideals of line management of elderly care and the ambiguities between bureaucracy and professionalism * subjectivity and emotions as a decisive element of the work in elderly care * the creation of new professionalism in pockets of the sector * the shifts in valuation of experience-based knowledge and care orientation. The book draws attention to new trends in the sector that may make way for transforming the logic of NPM, and thus points to possibilities that will enrich working life.

The Nordic future of workHow will work and working life in the Nordic countries change in the future? This is the question to be addressed in the project The Future of Work: Opportunities and Challenges for the Nordic Models. This initial report describes the main drivers and trends expected to shape the future of work. It also reviews the main distinctions of the Nordic model and recent developments in Nordic working lives, pointing towards the kind of challenges the future of work may pose to the Nordic models. Too often, debates about the future narrowly focus on changes in technology. This report draws attention to the broader drivers and political-institutional frameworks influencing working life developments, aiming to spur debate about how the interaction of changes in demography, climate, globalization and digital technologies may influence Nordic working lives in the coming decades.

In all the Nordic countries there is a declared policy of increasing work participation among seniors. The most important reason comes from a more long-term population, generation and welfare perspective: gradually, as more and more older people live longer, it is becoming increasingly expensive for younger age groups to finance and maintain relatively generous welfare schemes. The report a matter of health and job satisfaction compares and analyses the situation of seniors on the labour market in the Nordic countries as well as pension and social insurance systems. Seven in ten seniors aged 50-64 are in work, while three in ten have either retired early or are on the way out of working life. Impaired health and capacity for work represent the most important "exit route", followed by voluntary, flexible pensions, unemployment and working environment. Other causes include formal and informal barriers and age discrimination. People are different, seniors not least. Health, duties and working environment are crucial to more seniors being able and wanting to work for longer, in addition to which they want to be seen, made use of and appreciated!

In all the Nordic countries there is a declared policy of increasing work participation among seniors. The most important reason comes from a more long-term population, generation and welfare perspective: gradually, as more and more older people live longer, it is becoming increasingly expensive for younger age groups to finance and maintain relatively generous welfare schemes. The report a matter of health and job satisfaction compares and analyses the situation of seniors on the labour market in the Nordic countries as well as pension and social insurance systems. Seven in ten seniors aged 50-64 are in work, while three in ten have either retired early or are on the way out of working life. Impaired health and capacity for work represent the most important "exit route", followed by voluntary, flexible pensions, unemployment and working environment. Other causes include formal and informal barriers and age discrimination. People are different, seniors not least. Health, duties and working environment are crucial to more seniors being able and wanting to work for longer, in addition to which they want to be seen, made use of and appreciated!

The Nordic countries have the world's best working life. Unlike in many other countries, global competition has not created inequality, uncertainty, long working hours, standardization and restrictive managerial control. The main reason for this lies in the way interests are expressed and conflicts are resolved. Both employees and employers are well organized and both recognize the interests of the other. Working life develops in a constant interaction between conflict and compromise. This book examines working conditions in Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland. It explores how these good working conditions are created and maintained. The chapters explain: How work organization is formed How education, training and work place learning give access to the labour market How work is managed in the public sector How precarious work unfolds in the Nordic countries. Work and Wellbeing in the Nordic Countries is addressed to all those who have interest in the quality of working life. It will be of particular use to all students, academics and policy makers working in the fields of social policy, wellbeing, management studies, employment relations, work sociology and work psychology.

This open access book makes a contribution to our understanding of one of the social challenges facing many western nations i.e. the challenge of an ageing population. It specifically addresses the issue of competence among older employees. Others have studied ageing populations in terms of the economic burden or the pressure on healthcare services and generally view the rising numbers of seniors more as a challenge than an opportunity. In this book, authors discuss ways of gaining positive benefits from our ageing and more experienced work force.

This volume critically reviews the phenomenon of the aging workforce, adopting an interdisciplinary perspective that examines the challenges raised on an individual, organizational and societal level. Core issues framing the concept of the aging workforce and its consequences are presented by a team of leading contributors from around the world.