Aging & Social Change: Thirteenth Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

Telework is increasingly present and has the potential to be used as an accommodation modality to facilitate inclusion and healthy participation in the workplace while returning to work after a period of absence. However, this topic has not been studied with aging workers, a growing, qualified, and indispensable workforce. This paper presents a study aiming to develop a reflective guide for applying telework to support the accommodation, inclusion, and health of aging workers after a period of absence. This study follows a three-phase developmental research design. First, individual interviews with aging teleworkers and managers are used to gather qualitative data on their experience. Second, the issues, considerations, levers and good practices that emerged from Phase 1 are compiled into a reflective application guide developed by a monitoring committee. Third, this guide is validated by workers and managers to ensure its acceptability and applicability in daily life. This study generated a concrete tool to be used by managers and aging workers to promote the healthy use of teleworking to support the inclusion of aging workers when returning to work after a period of absence. This study is expected to have innovative impacts on several levels, including individual, organizational, and societal. The results provide sound solutions to the labor shortage in a changing world of work where digital and telecommuting are becoming increasingly important.