Sustainable employability means that employees stay healthy, engaged, motivated and productive, so they can keep working fit and with pleasure until a later age. That is what sustainable employability is all about.
So it is not only about older employees. Sustainable employability starts on the very first working day and applies to young and old.
Want to improve sustainable employability within your organisation? Choose a sustainable employability training from MEPD. In this training, we work with employees on their employability and create awareness. On this page, we explain the meaning, the goal and what sustainable employability asks of employers.
Sustainable employability meaning and definition
There are several definitions of sustainable employability, but the core is always the same. It means that employees can work in good health, with pleasure and with the right skills until their retirement.
Within an organisation, sustainable employability is also a policy. It takes the circumstances and wishes of employees into account as much as possible, at different stages of their life and career. That benefits employees, and the organisation reaps the rewards as well.
What is employability, and how does it differ? Employability on its own is mainly about development and craftsmanship, which makes it one part of sustainable employability. You will also come across the term sustainable employment.
The three aspects of sustainable employability
Sustainable employability is often divided into three parts that influence each other.
Vitality (wanting to work)
Energy, motivation and resilience. A vital employee enjoys their work and keeps a good balance between work and private life.
Work ability (being able to work)
The extent to which someone is physically, mentally and socially able to do their job well. Health, workload capacity and working conditions play a major role in this.
Employability (being allowed to work)
The ability to adapt to changes in work. Think of learning new skills and making use of career opportunities.
In MEPD’s employability scan, employees gain insight into their personal work ability. This shows them where action is useful.
Which topics are part of sustainable employability?
Sustainable employability touches on many themes within an organisation. These are the most important topics.
- Health and lifestyle: physical and mental health, exercise and a healthy lifestyle.
- Work pressure and job satisfaction: a manageable workload, engagement and motivation.
- Working conditions: a safe, healthy and ergonomic workplace.
- Development and education: lifelong learning, with training and courses.
- Career and mobility: growing within the organisation, or moving to other work inside or outside it. Read more about career development.
What is the goal of sustainable employability?
The goal of sustainable employability is to keep employees healthy, motivated and skilled at work, all the way to their retirement. Organisations that invest in health, engagement and development often see the benefits right away. It leads to more job satisfaction, less absenteeism and higher productivity.
This gives the organisation fit and motivated employees who contribute to a productive and flexible organisation, and to a future proof workforce. Look ahead, because preventing problems is always better than stepping in when things go wrong. The sooner your company invests in sustainable employability, the more it will benefit.
Why is sustainable employability important?
The average age in the Netherlands is rising. People live longer and fewer children are born. In the coming years, more older employees will leave the workforce, while fewer young people come in. This is known as an ageing and shrinking workforce.
This makes it harder to fill vacancies. And when older employees leave, a lot of knowledge and experience disappears from the organisation. That is why it is important to retain good employees for as long as possible.
At the same time, we are working longer. The Dutch state pension age (AOW) is now 67 and rises in line with life expectancy. Work itself is also changing quickly, especially in manufacturing and technology. Sustainable employability makes sure employees stay productive, healthy, motivated and engaged for longer. That is what workforce sustainability is about.
What does sustainable employability mean for employers?
Sustainable employability is a shared responsibility. The employer facilitates and the employee takes action. Taking good care of your people is also part of being a good employer.
What are an employer’s obligations regarding sustainable employability?
There is no separate law for sustainable employability in the Netherlands. However, under the Dutch Working Conditions Act (Arbowet), employers must make sure employees can work safely and healthily. Every employer therefore has a health and safety policy, a basic contract with an occupational health service and an appointed prevention officer. The prevention officer looks after good working conditions and works on sustainable employability. Some collective labour agreements (cao’s) also contain additional arrangements.
How do you approach sustainable employability as an employer?
- Create awareness. Talk with employees, for example in a practical workshop. Explain why sustainable employability matters and how you support them as an employer. This lays the foundation for a policy with broad support.
- Give insight into work ability. With a personal scan, employees see where action is useful, for example on lifestyle, work pressure or personal development.
- Embed it in the organisation. See sustainable employability as a long-term investment, with structural tools and a suitable budget. Think of career development, attention to job satisfaction, good working conditions and regular development reviews.
Putting sustainable employability into practice with MEPD
MEPD has been helping organisations in manufacturing and technology since 1992. We advise employers on a sustainable HR policy and encourage employees to take action on their own employability. We do this through workshops, advice sessions, training and coaching. Read more on the page about our approach to sustainable employability.
A good first step is our sustainable employability training. It consists of a half-day workshop, an employability scan and a personal advice session per employee. HR also receives an anonymous advice report as input for policy.
