Introduction

Much of the recent concern in Britain in relation to the reducing ratio of employed to retired people has centred on national-level policy and economic issues such as retirement, state pension age and the burden on welfare and healthcare systems. For some time now, it has been suggested that one of the more straightforward, and least unpopular, ways of reducing the associated fiscal deficits would be to encourage people to stay in the labour force for longer than has been typical in recent decades (Griffiths, 1997; Miles, 1997). Sustaining the productivity of retained older workers may play a role in maintaining the economy's and individual organisations’ competitive edge. However, it is important that any proposed increased involvement in work for older workers should be framed by appropriate expectations. Overextending working capacity may have negative consequences for both individual employees and their employing organisations. It may also impact negatively on health and quality of life on employees’ eventual exit from the workforce.

It is recognised that work can be a source of much satisfaction. It can provide purpose, meaning and challenge, a vehicle for learning, creativity and growth, opportunities to use skills and to demonstrate expertise, to exert control and to achieve success (Csikszentmihalyi, 1997). Many people report that work plays a significant part in their lives, providing psychological and social as well as material benefits. It is recognised that, by and large, work is better for health than unemployment (Waddell and Burton, 2006) providing, of course, that it is ‘healthy work’.

Unhealthy work has traditionally been thought of in terms of exposure to physical hazards and inadequate attention to safety. Recognition of the importance of the more intangible aspects of work and their effects on individual health, both psychological and physical, began to emerge in the 19th century with the Industrial Revolution. In 1845, Engels was one of the first to voice concern in The Condition of the Working Class in England (Engels, 1987). He described the physical and psychological health problems suffered by workers from many trades and suggested their origins lay in the design and management of work and its associated physical environments.