ABSTRACT
Any element of change, whether technical or organisational, can be used to start thinking anew about taking the ‘age’ factor into account in the workplace.
While decision-makers awaken to this problem at times spontaneously and while it can be fostered or induced in various circumstances, it must be admitted, however, that it rapidly vanishes in the face of present day employment problems. In most cases, a rapid return to old reactions can be observed, that is to say, that the oldest employees continue to be laid off, by means of early retirement schemes. This tactic, moreover, is most often implemented with the agreement of the workers themselves and of their representatives.
