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This study aims to offer an empirical taxonomy of European employers' human resource (HR) policies in relation to older workers. Three types of age-based strategy are discerned: a focus on exit through retirement, accommodation measures, and development measures. The various antecedents of human resource practices related to older worker are analysed simultaneously. Statistical analysis is performed on a sample of 3,700 organisations in six European countries (Denmark, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden) that were questioned in 2009 to discover which antecedents are associated with HR strategies. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with categorical indicators is conducted to examine the construct validity of the three types of age-based human resource strategy. Subsequently, structural equation modelling is used to test whether key predictors (i.e. ageing of the work force; organisation size; seniority-based compensation; labour union involvement; training requirement; and knowledge intensity) are associated with the three latent factors. The strategies of exit, development or accommodation constitute a valid taxonomy to capture the age-based personnel policies of European employers. The employers show a bias towards using exit strategies, but large country differences persist, with Dutch employers offering the most options and Italian employers hardly offering any policies to 'recharge' older workers. Barely one per cent of European employers use all three strategies to the fullest extent, while 20 per cent of the employers use at least one measure from each of the three age-based strategies. Public sector organisations are more age conscious than private sector firms. Despite the warnings of policy-makers about the possible consequences of population ageing, European employers are not engaging in human resource strategies that promote active ageing. When it comes to enacting policies, employers often opt for the easy way out: exit strategies.

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