1. Research on international practices and experience in relation to the intergenerational approach and the promotion of a longer working life and workability, including:

• EU directives and policies in the target area, good and innovative practices and policies, including on the implementation of the Autonomous Framework Agreement of the European social partners on active ageing and intergenerational solidarity;
• Practices related to social partnership and social dialogue, including collective bargaining as a tool for promoting longer working life and applying the intergenerational approach, as well as other measures developed and implemented in European countries by BIA’s partnering employers organizations, members of BUSINESSEUROPE;
• Research and assessment of the possibilities for implementation in Bulgaria of specific tools, models and practices in HR management with an emphasis on providing a working environment tailored to the specific age needs of different generations and opportunities to promote longer working life and ability for work; to improve ergonomics and reorganization of the workplace;
• Research of good practices and tools for introduction of the intergenerational approach, sharing experience and transfer of knowledge between the generations through mentoring and other forms of interaction.

2. Study and strategic assessment of the regional demography of the labor force in Bulgaria by sectors (model for a regional age pyramid).

The study will provide an opportunity to review and strategically assess the current regional demography of labor resources in the country by sector, and for the first time in Bulgaria use, process, evaluate and analyze priority data provided by employers to the Register of employment contracts for regional distribution of employees according to their actual workplace. The structure of the employee risk groups, which are a potential focus of future efforts to provide conditions for longer employment of employees over 55 years are identified.

3. Study of the generational characteristics of the labor force in Bulgaria

The study will include:

• Research of values and life priorities, motivation, behavioral models, attitude towards work and continuing education, attitude towards new technologies and organizational change of different generations of employees;
• Study of the working capacity and satisfaction with the conditions in the working environment, the specific needs and interests, the difficulties, the barriers, the risks in the labor activity and the professional realization of the different generations of employees;
• Study of forms and initiatives in social partnership, measures and policies of enterprises to implement the generational approach and promote longer working lives, ability to work and retain and transfer experience between different generations, incl. through mentoring.

4. Study on the specific needs for new policies and approaches to adapt the work environment to ensure longer working lives and the ability to work of people with chronic diseases

The study will include:

• Research and assessment of the possibilities for application of good practices related to the prevention and management of stress, prevention of major chronic diseases of the workforce in accordance with age in Bulgarian enterprises;
• Selection and organization of meetings with patients’ organizations for major chronic diseases in order to identify, summarize and evaluate data from different sources of information, evaluation and selection of at least 3 main types of chronic diseases, for which after consultation with the social partners methodological materials, tools will be developed, consultations will be organized and conducted at branch and company level in the selected sectors;
• Research of forms and initiatives, measures and policies for improvement and adaptation of the working environment to the specific needs of workers with chronic diseases in order to promote longer working life and ability to work.

5. National Round Table ‘Approaches to providing a working environment tailored to the specific age needs of different generations of the workforce and promoting a longer working life and ability to work’

The activity is aimed at sharing and disseminating the results and conclusions of the made researches, to reflect the views, ideas of stakeholders (including social partners) to raise awareness and commitment of target groups to the project objectives, to generate ideas and suggestions on the development and the implementation of effective measures and mechanisms for:

• overcoming the challenges of the labor market arising from the demographic crisis;
• optimizing the employment opportunities of all age groups of the workforce;
• ensuring and maintaining productive and healthy working conditions, in accordance with the specific age needs of the different generations of the workforce and promoting a longer working life and ability to work;
• improving mutual understanding, supporting cooperation and solidarity between the generations in the workplace;
• improving social dialogue, collective bargaining, representation and protection of the specific age needs and interests of the workforce.