Remote working solutions to support the retention of older workers who are vulnerable to Covid-19

Among adults, the risk for severe illness from COVID-19 increases with age, with older adults at highest risk. There is a vast number of people in all EU Member States who would be easily classified as high-risk where Covid-19 is concerned. Many of the have been self-isolating, restricting their movements, reducing their social contacts, even resorting to extreme cocooning to try and protect their health. For some, the solution is to remote work and many people are lucky enough to have both the skills and the employment opportunity to remote work. There is also a large group of older adults who simply don't have the digital skills or the professional competences to remote work. Simultaneously training employers and building the digital skills of workers who are vulnerable due to an underlying health condition for effective remote working are the key aims and objectives of the RETAIN-ME project. The European Green deal and the Sustainable Development Goals propose a fairer, more equitable society where no one is left behind. RETAIN-ME responds to those ideals and have developed training resources to ensure that vulnerable workers can be retained in employment.

Through the results produced by the RETAIN-ME project team, the aim is to support older and vulnerable workers to embrace the digital transition in European workforces, so that they can continue to make active and meaningful contributions to European economic, civic and social life – all facilitated through embracing digital technologies and platforms. European society is being divided –through social distancing measures that we most associate with ‘living with Covid-19’ – and through the digital divide that we see between the digital natives who are comfortable working and learning in online environments and for whom the switch to technology-driven remote working has been less disruptive to their lives. For older employees, as well as the anxiety they feel about their health, they are also faced with having to navigate new technology platforms and working practices; often without support or training, and this can severely impact their sense of pride and purpose in their work. Through the RETAIN-ME project, we wanted address these fears, anxieties and worries of older and vulnerable employees, so that they can be supported to live and thrive in our digitally enhanced, remote working reality.