REVIEW PAPER
Functional profile and work demands-capacity matching as tools for assessing the risk of continued employment among workers 55 years and older
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1
Polish Society of Public Health, Wrocław, Poland
2
Medical University of Gdansk, Gdańsk, Poland (Faculty of Medicine)
3
Wroclaw Medical University, Wrocław, Poland (Department of Public Health, Division of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences)
Online publication date: 2026-10-16
Corresponding author
Karol Pawlak
Polskie Towarzystwo Zdrowia Publicznego, ul. Bartla 5,
51‑618 Wrocław
HIGHLIGHTS
- A framework for assessing continued employment risk in workers aged ≥55 years was proposed.
- The model links functional profiling with task-level analysis.
- The task matrix supports decisions on workload reduction, task redistribution, and job reassignment.
- The model limits medicalization by placing greater emphasis on the functional assessment of work capacity.
- The model requires further empirical validation and sector-specific adaptation.
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ABSTRACT
Population ageing in the workforce is one of the key challenges for contemporary labour markets. This article aims to present and critically evaluate a conceptual model for assessing the risk of reduced or discontinued employment among individuals aged ≥55 years. The study is a review based on an integrative synthesis of literature on work ability, the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, job crafting, work design, and research on retention and return to work. The proposed model is based on an employee functional profile and a task-matching matrix. It assumes task-level analysis of work, with tasks assessed in terms of physical, cognitive, emotional, and social demands, as well as organizational and personal value. Based on this, 4 types of organizational decisions are identified: task maintenance, workload reduction, task redistribution, and task enrichment. The model enables the identification of risk configurations, such as accumulation of demands, erosion of work value, impaired recovery, environmental mismatch, and underuse of competences. However, it is not a validated predictive tool. The proposed framework supports the design of work that promotes longer, healthier, and more sustainable working lives among workers aged ≥55 years. Further empirical validation and sector-specific adaptation are required. Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2026;77(5)