Zornitsa Rusinova, Chair of the Economic and Social Council, participated in the Second Career Forum, “Beyond Age: The Power of Talent,” where she presented the Council’s legislation and activities on the topic of age diversity.
“The different perspectives of different generations are much more important and significant, and bringing them together creates a solid foundation for better decisions both in the workplace and in society as a whole,” she emphasized.
The most recent ESC document on this topic is the position paper titled “Measures for Managing Age Diversity in the Workplace in the Context of the Competitiveness of Enterprises in Bulgaria.”
“In this act, we recognized for the first time that there must be comprehensive measures aimed at addressing age diversity in the workplace and the differences between generations working together, so that these differences become a resource rather than a challenge.”
She pointed out that generational differences are also evident in the search for a work-life balance: “Young people and older adults seek different types of balance between their professional and family lives, which requires more flexible and adaptive policies on the part of employers.” According to her, more attention needs to be paid to older workers as well, since most measures are currently aimed at young families with children.
“We cannot fail to mention how important the role of the social partners is in this regard on a number of related issues, such as working conditions, work-life balance, and tolerance in the workplace.”
Rusinova also highlighted the topic of digital skills and their connection to the labor market as a key focus area; on this subject, the ESC has developed a number of position papers and analyses.
“The labor market as a whole is changing under the influence not only of artificial intelligence but of digitalization in general, which requires continuous learning and adaptation,” Rusinova noted. She added that mixing employees with varying levels of digital literacy in the workplace reveals significant differences, which is why age-related factors must be taken into account when developing training programs and policies.
She highlighted tolerance as a key factor for effective intergenerational interaction, which is essential for successful intergenerational interaction and for creating a supportive and productive work environment. In this context, she also emphasized the importance of ratifying Convention No. 190 of 2019 of the International Labour Organization, which lays the groundwork for building an inclusive organizational culture and preventing violence and harassment in the workplace.
A new approach is also needed due to demographic trends. Managing age diversity is an increasingly important element of corporate management and, at the same time, a key element in addressing the consequences of demographic changes.
“It is clear that people over the age of 50 will be the main workforce and the primary source of health and social security contributions. We need to take a completely different approach—not only to how we harness this potential, but also to how we ensure opportunities for its development and full participation in the labor market.”
