Age-Diverse Workplaces and Mental Health: The Mediating Role of Job Stress in a Changing Employment Landscape

As working populations become increasingly age-diverse, and as traditional forms of workplace solidarity are challenged, understanding how organizational culture accommodates age diversity has become a crucial issue in employment-related social policy. This study examines the impact of age-diverse organizational culture on depressive symptoms among employees, focusing on the mediating role of job stress. Drawing on data from a nationally representative web-based survey of private sector employees in South Korea (N = 610), we conducted a structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis using Mplus8.0 with bootstrapping (5,000 iterations). The sample included employees aged 20–69, who had been employed at their current job for at least one year.

The model included age-diverse organizational culture, job stress and depressive symptoms, controlling for gender, age, and job rank. The SEM showed good model fit (χ²=136.212, df=53, RMSEA=.052, CFI=.943, SRMR=.036). Age-diverse organizational culture was significantly associated with lower job stress (β=-0.112, p<.05), and job stress was significantly associated with increased depressive symptoms (β=0.606, p<.05). The indirect effect of organizational culture on depression through job stress was statistically significant (95% CI: [-.121, -.002]).

These findings highlight the potential of inclusive, age-diverse work environments as a preventive mechanism for improving employee mental health. The results have clear implications for workplace policy and welfare governance, particularly in societies undergoing rapid demographic aging and labor market change. By addressing psychosocial risks through inclusive organizational practices, this study contributes to broader policy debates on how to sustain solidarity in increasingly fragmented and diverse working environments.