Extension of working life and implications for occupational health in Chile

Abstract

Chile has one of the highest effective retirement ages among the countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). This could be associated with retirement at older ages, as low pensions encourage people to remain active in the workforce. People undergo several changes due to the passage of time, and they have an impact on their health from a biological, psychological and social point of view. However, there is not enough knowledge on how these changes impact and interact with working, employment and health conditions of workers as they get older. This article aims to contribute to the critical debate on the extension of working life and its implications for occupational health. Some reflections in this regard are proposed based on a review of the most recent relevant literature.

Keywords

• ageing
• occupational health
• employment
• gender
• public policy