Who is considered an 'older worker'? Extending our conceptualisation of 'older' from an organisational decision maker perspective

A refinement of the construct of age, specifically 'older', is recognised as a critical measurement concern for experts in both ageing research and policy formation. In this context, we set out to both chronologically define an 'older worker' and to identify on what basis the age of 'older' is determined. In doing so, we draw on open-ended survey data (collected in 2011) from a sample of 407 organisational decision makers across all industries in Ireland. Our focus was specifically on the perspective of organisational decision makers because these individuals will be instrumental in facing the challenges associated with workforce ageing. The results show that workers are considered as 'older' at a younger age than might be expected and that decision makers conceptualise workers as 'older' using various approaches in the organisational context. Our findings contribute to the literature in three ways: firstly, by providing an important empirically derived understanding of the term 'older worker'; secondly, by empirically examining previously suggested 'possible' indicators of age; and thirdly, by demonstrating that these indicators are conceptually and empirically distinct, advancing theory on the concept of age in the workplace.