Professor Valerie Egdell

Professor

School: Newcastle Business School

Valerie Egdell is Professor of Work and Employment at Newcastle Business School. She is an interdisciplinary researcher with a background in social gerontology, social policy, and social geography. Her research is centred on workplace inclusion and sustainable employability.

Valerie is co-leading the Working With Dementia (WWD) Network Plus (Alzheimer’s Society, ESRC and NIHR funded, 2024-29). The aim of this network is to shift current understanding of working with dementia and to enhance work experiences for those affected by dementia to help to address the wider social and financial inequalities of dementia in society. She is also currently undertaking research to understand the work-life negotiations of (new) worker mothers of twins, triplets and higher order multiples.

Her research has also examined age management in the workplace, the education-to-work transitions of younger workers, and the scarring effects of unemployment.

Valerie was editorial board member for the journal Ageing & Society (2019-2025) and was on the Executive Committee of the British Society of Gerontology (2020-2025).

Valerie has a degree in Geography from Durham University; and an MA in Human Geography Research and a PhD from Newcastle University. Her PhD examined how carers of people living with dementia mobilise their support networks and draw on their social, cultural and emotional resources.

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Research Themes and Scholarly Interests

Dementia and the workplace
Work-life negotiations of (new) worker mothers of twins, triplets and higher order multiples
Older workers
The Capability Approach
Young people's education-to-work transitions
Scarring effects of unemployment and/or a poor start in the labour market

Key Publications

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Affected and Intrinsic Authenticity: Navigating Internalized Gay Ageism on LGBTQ+ Homestay Platforms, Mellors, J., Egdell, V. 1 Jul 2025, In: Gender, Work and Organization
Retiring for the Night: How Negative Attitudes Towards Ageing Can Shape Expectations and Attitudes Towards Sleep Among Adults Aged 60+, Salvi, S., Murray, J., Önkal, D., Egdell, V. 30 Apr 2025, In: Frontiers in Psychology
Behavioral science and the facilitation of extended working lives: A commentary on how behavioral nudges can help counteract workplace ageism, Egdell, V., Salvi, S., Onkal, D. 17 Mar 2023, In: The Journal of Aging and Social Change
Dementia in the workplace: the implications for career development practice, Bolger, E., Egdell, V., Ritchie, L. 2 Jan 2023, In: British Journal of Guidance and Counselling
‘I Find it Daunting . . . That I’m Gonna Have to Deal with This until 60’: Extended Working Lives and the Sustainable Employability of Operational Firefighters , Egdell, V., Hussein, R., Harrison, D., Bader, A., Wilson, R. 1 Jun 2023, In: Work, Employment and Society
Dementia, Work and Employability: Using the Capability Approach to understand the employability potential for people living with dementia, Ritchie, L., Egdell, V., Danson, M., Cook, M., Stavert, J., Tolson, D. 1 Aug 2022, In: Work, Employment and Society
Workplace Preparedness for an Ageing Workforce: A Case Study, Egdell, V., Maclean, G., Chen, T., Raeside, R. 18 Aug 2022, In: International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
A critique of the Capability Approach’s potential for application to career guidance, Egdell, V., Robertson, P. 1 Jul 2021, In: International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance
Dementia in the workplace: are employers supporting employees living with dementia?, Egdell, V., Cook, M., Stavert, J., Ritchie, L., Tolson, D., Danson, M. 2 Jan 2021, In: Aging and Mental Health
Everyday citizenship and people with dementia edited by Ann‐Charlotte Nedlund, Ruth Bartlett and Charlotte L.Clarke Edinburgh, Dunedin Press, 2019. ISBN: 9781780460826, £21.50 (Pbk), Egdell, V. 1 Dec 2021, In: Social Policy & Administration

Professional Activity

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Membership of network: Supporting Healthy Ageing at Work (SHAW) Knowledge Network (External organisation) 2021
Publication Peer-review: Children and Youth Services Review (Journal) 2021
Other: Developing an evidence-based health and wellbeing resource pack to improve employee engagement 2021
Publication Peer-review: Employee Relations (Journal) 2021
Publication Peer-review: Journal of Aging and Social Policy (Journal) 2020
Publication Peer-review: Work, Aging and Retirement (Journal) 2020
Invited talk: Older Workers in Great Britain: Perspectives from the devolved nations 2019
Oral presentation: Dementia in the workplace: the implications for career development practice 2019
Oral presentation: Dementia, work and employability: Using the Capability Approach to understand the employability potential for people with dementia 2019
Invited talk: Dementia in the workplace: are employers supporting employees with dementia 2019