Advancing Age Inclusion and Wellbeing in Organizations: A Systematic Review Following the PRISMA Framework

Abstract

Population aging has emerged as a significant demographic and social phenomenon, creating new challenges and opportunities for organizations worldwide. As the proportion of older adults continues to increase, organizations play a critical role in promoting sustainable and inclusive aging by fostering environments that support health, wellbeing, participation, and lifelong engagement. This paper examines the role of organizations in advancing sustainable and inclusive aging through age-friendly policies, inclusive human resource management practices, workplace health promotion programs, flexible work arrangements, lifelong learning opportunities, and social inclusion initiatives. Drawing on contemporary literature, the study highlights how organizations can contribute to enhancing the physical, psychological, and social wellbeing of older adults while addressing age-related discrimination and barriers to participation. The review further emphasizes the importance of creating age-diverse workplaces that value the experience, knowledge, and skills of older employees. Findings suggest that organizations adopting age-inclusive strategies not only improve employee wellbeing and productivity but also contribute to broader societal goals of sustainability and social equity. The paper concludes that a collaborative approach involving employers, policymakers, communities, and healthcare providers is essential for supporting healthy, active, and dignified aging. The study offers practical implications for managers and policymakers seeking to build inclusive and sustainable organizations in an aging society.

Introduction

This review examines how organizational practices can promote inclusion and wellbeing among older adults in the workplace. As more people work longer and participate in hybrid work environments, organizations must recognize that older adults are a diverse group with varying health, skills, responsibilities, and work preferences. Rather than viewing aging as a decline, organizations should value older adults for their experience and contributions.

Using a PRISMA-informed literature review, the study identified seven relevant studies from an initial 42 records. The review focused on organizational factors such as age-friendly workplaces, inclusive leadership, mature-age human resource management (HRM), flexible work arrangements, technological support, and workplace design.

The findings show that age-friendly workplaces improve wellbeing by providing comfortable, adaptable work environments that meet older workers’ needs. Inclusive leadership and supportive HR practices enhance psychological wellbeing by ensuring employees feel respected and valued. Flexible working arrangements help older adults balance health conditions, caregiving responsibilities, and meaningful employment, making flexibility a key driver of inclusion.

The review also highlights the importance of digital inclusion, noting that technology can improve participation when organizations provide user-friendly systems, adequate training, and ongoing support. However, poor implementation can create barriers, especially in hybrid work settings. Additionally, ageism remains a significant challenge, as stereotypes about aging can negatively affect hiring, training, promotion, and workplace interactions, limiting opportunities for older employees.

Overall, the review concludes that organizational inclusion is most effective when it is embedded within workplace systems through supportive policies, adaptive environments, inclusive leadership, and age-friendly practices. Such an approach enables older adults to remain engaged, productive, and healthy while recognizing aging as a normal and valuable part of working life.

Conclusion

Promoting inclusion and wellbeing among older adults requires an organizational approach that combines age-friendly design, inclusive leadership, flexible work, and digital support. The PRISMA-based review process identified 42 records, included 7 studies, and showed that older adults benefit most when organizations adapt systems to their needs rather than expecting individuals to fit rigid structures. The most effective organizations are those that treat aging as a normal, valuable, and manageable part of the workforce.

References

[1] Bentley, T., et al. (2023). A systematic review of literature on occupational health and safety interventions for older workers. Ergonomics, 66(12), 1968–1983.[pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih] [2] Inclusive leadership, matured age HRM practices and older worker wellbeing. (2024). Journal source via Wiley.[onlinelibrary.wiley] [3] OECD. (2020). Promoting an age-inclusive workforce.[oecd] [4] PRISMA statement / PRISMA 2020 flow diagram. (2021).[pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih] [5] TOWARD AGE-FRIENDLY WORKPLACES: Identifying factors that support cognitive function in older workers. (2022).[pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih] [6] Office workspace for an ageing workforce: A systematic review. (2021).[pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih] [7] Towards sustainable age-inclusive workplaces: A systematic review on how technological tools support or hinder work participation for older workers (2014–2024). (2025).[pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih]

Copyright

Copyright © 2026 Treesa Thomas, Akhila Gopalakrishnan. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.