Working Late

Strategies to Enhance Productive and Healthy Environments for the Older Workforce

A collaborative research project funded under the New Dynamics of Ageing Programme

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Working Late Project Showcase Event

March 12th, 2013

Professor Cheryl Haslam presenting an overview of the Working Late project.

The showcase event for the ‘Working Late’ project, a four-year project enhancing productive and healthy environments for the older workforce was greeted as a tremendous success.

Professor Alan Walker Director of the New Dynamics of Ageing (NDA) Programme that funded the Working Late project said: “Working Late is a perfect embodiment of the essence of the NDA programme, it is of the highest quality science, the researchers are top quality, the work they have done is excellent.”

The Walking Works Wonders section of the project presented findings which show that the UK workforce is currently experiencing a sitting epidemic. The researchers then went on to present the highly successful workplace physical activity intervention they developed in 10 worksites across the UK. The 12 month intervention with a further 12 month follow-up resulted in reduced BMI, body fat and sickness absence and improved work performance.

Delegates at the Working Late showcase event were given the opportunity to experience aspects of the research first hand; attendees were challenged to use their coffee break to take a walk, increase their step counts on pedometers they were issued with and send in interesting photos:

The event showcased findings from the OWL design resource which aims to support line managers in facilitating healthy ageing at work through design. The event also featured The Journey to Work project, which had developed a resource to help employees identify and manage problems they may encounter in their daily journey to work.

Colette Nicolle presenting The Journey to Work resource.

Dr. Diane Gyi presenting the OWL at the Showcase event.

The event also premiered videos from the Dynamics of Later life working part of the Working Late project, presented by researcher Ricardo Twumasi. Ricardo commented: “In this part of the project we explored the experiences of workers, and job seekers over 50, and in the process uncovered evidence of age discrimination within recruitment’.

Chris Ball, CEO of The Age and Employment network commented on the Dynamics of Later life project:

“I thought the clips were great, very insightful, a great opportunity to see how people often think, and talk in private, the kinds of thing that its very difficult to capture.”

Chris added: “its been a wonderful project been conducted very ably by Cheryl and her team, I’ve enjoyed participating”

All pictures from the event are available here