Written submission from Professor Sarah Vickerstaff on behalf of
the Uncertain Futures Research Consortium (OPE0023)
Headline Findings from the Uncertain Futures: Managing Late Career Transitions and Extended Working Life Project an MRC/ESRC Lifelong Health and Wellbeing Extending Working Lives Consortium Grant Ref. ES/L002949/1, 2014-2017.
Abstract
Transitions from work to retirement have undergone radical transformation over the past few decades. The project aimed to contribute to knowledge about the processes and factors which exert influence on working in later life. The research objectives: (1) mapping existing and emerging late-career transitions using existing longitudinal data sets (ELSA, NCDS and HRS); (2) identifying risk and protective factors affecting individuals during the transition from work to retirement; (3) conducting case studies to understand the way in which processes associated with extended working life are negotiated within the workplace; (4) synthesising findings from quantitative and qualitative data to produce new theoretical models about the changing character of late-career transitions.
RQ1. What evidence can be found for new ‘late career transitions’ developing in England? How do these compare with those found in the USA?
Policy assumes that access to various forms of flexible work is beneficial for older workers and can provide a key means for them to continue working or retire gradually. Analysis of the ELSA/HRS data and evidence from our case studies suggest that access to flexible working opportunities may be exaggerated. It is still the case that a majority of working men continue to work full-time until retirement. Similarly, in the UK it is typical for women to work part-time and then retire fully. Our analysis likewise suggests that relatively few Americans work ‘late’ (that is into their late 60s) as a result of returning to work after retirement or moving into part-time work or self-employment.
RQ2. How do life course factors influence these late career transitions?
The capacity of individuals to extend their working lives requires an understanding of their entire life course. The research highlights the extent to which childhood adversity and mental ill-health influences the labour market status of people in their fifties. The capacity of someone to carry on working may have been compromised well before the individual reaches the ‘retirement zone’. Gendered work patterns during working life feed through into individuals’ aspirations and opportunities for EWL. Women are often working part-time already and therefore phased retirement, though potentially available through a further reduction in hours, is less meaningful or financially feasible.
RQ3. How is the idea of ‘extended working life’ being constructed within the workplace?
The research found little evidence that organisations have begun to work through the implications of an ageing workforce. Employers are very much aware of age discrimination legislation and we found little evidence of overt discrimination; however, the implications of the law were being interpreted very defensively with some perverse consequences. In particular, it was believed you cannot talk to anyone about their retirement plans for fear of being accused of ageism. This was unhelpful for both employer and employee. Organisations have retreated from the management of work-ending, simply waiting for employees to resign. This creates uncertainty on both sides and leaves employees with little support in making retirement decisions.
Whilst overt age discrimination was limited internalised ageism was prevalent. There were examples of ‘lookism’ where older women felt visibly under scrutiny because of their age and many employees considered themselves as “too old” for training or advancement. There was a strongly expressed view from many employees across all of the organisations that staying on as an older worker might be effectively job blocking for younger generations. The importance of this is that in the face of redundancies or restructuring, older workers may feel that it is their duty to step down and make way for younger people.
RQ4. What is the impact of late-career transitions on work place practices, re-training, human resources and occupational health policies?
Although there were good examples of employee-friendly initiatives such as health and wellbeing activities and carer forums, these were not specifically targeted towards older workers either because of a fear that this would be discriminatory or because their potential benefits for older workers had not been thought through.
In the case study organisations there was considerable employee interest in the idea of phased retirement but few had investigated whether it was possible and for lower income earners it was not financially viable anyway. Flexible working options are limited for those outside administrative and office jobs, and even where HR wish to increase such opportunities, they may face resistance from line managers who have to make the arrangements work in practice.
Further information and details from the project can be found in the following:
Phillipson, C., Vickerstaff S. and Lain D. (2016) Achieving Fuller working Lives: Labour Market and Policy Issues in the UK’ Australian Journal of Social Issues, 51 (2) 187-203.
“Longitudinal associations between adversity, socioeconomic position, and engagement in education during childhood and labour force participation and exit in later adulthood” A. Fahy, M. Smuk, D. Lain, M. van der Horst, S. Vickerstaff, S Stansfeld, & C. Clark, Social Science and Medicine Vol.183, June 2017, pp.80-87
Clark, C., Smuk, M., Lain, D., van der Horst, M., Baumberg Geiger, B. and Vickerstaff, S. (2017) The impact of childhood and adulthood psychological health on labour force participation and exit in later life. Psychological Medicine 47 (9): 1597-1608.
Van der Horst, M., Vickerstaff, S., Lain, D., Clark C. and Baumberg Geiger B. (2017) ‘Pathways of paid work, care provision, and volunteering in later careers: activity substitution or extension? Work, Aging and Retirement, 3, (4): 343–365.
Van der Horst, M., Lain, D., Vickerstaff, S., Clark, C., & Baumberg Geiger, B. (2017). Gender roles and employment pathways of older women and men in England. Sage Open [Accepted for publication].
A number of other papers are currently under review please check the project website for up to date information about publications: https://www.kent.ac.uk/extendingworkinglives/
The majority of the interviews from the case study part of the research are lodged with the UK Data Archive: Ref. SN 852868 Interviews of employees aged 50+, human resources staff and line managers from four organisations concerning the effects of extending working lives on individuals and the organisation.