is a resource centre dedicated to the stimulation and development of policies concerning older workders in the workplace.
We coordinate and contribute to consultations on senior issues with government, businesses, the social partners and human resource organisations.
We initiate and support research within the field.
The Centre for Senior Policy (CSP) was established on 19 March 1969 as the «Joint Committee for Preparation for Retirement Age». Four of the 19 affiliated organisations/ministries/unions at the start were the Norwegian Employers Confederation, the “Norsk gerontologisk institutt” (Norwegian gerontology institute) and the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. The Joint Committee’s mission was to provide more knowledge about planning retirement.
The financial crisis and high unemployment led to the fact that older workers did not feel appreciated, and tended to retire earlier than they had intended. Meanwhile, demographics showed that there would soon be an ageing population in Norway. It was time to change the way of thinking!
In 1990, the Joint Committee switched focus from preparing for retirement to discussing senior policy and the development of older workers, initiating:
1990: The HR policy for elderly workers» project
1995-2000: Research programme: «Work, aging and life cycle» and consultancy assignments for private and public companies wanting to develop a senior policy.
The large organisations representing workers and employers eventually gained representation on SSP’s board.
In March 2001, the five-year “National campaign for senior policy in the workplace» was launched. Six months later, the first IA Agreement was announced, with one of its aims stated as extending the careers of older employees. Through cooperation with the organisations, the campaign and IA Agreement led to a quantum leap for senior policy. The Win-Win information campaign ran from 2007 to 2009.
Views on older workers have changed significantly over the last ten years. SSP’s contribution has been to develop a new approach, and to show that older workers are a resource. SSP finances research, and recent research shows that senior productivity is high.