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The Silver Work Index (SWI) intends to complement the AAI with a quantitative index centring on work in retirement age. It is intended to support evidence-informed strategies for dealing with the challenges of an ageing population in organizations. The SWI will allow for a comparison between organizations and promote good practices towards a more active role for older people. This chapter describes the steps of index development, thus laying the groundwork for a new, innovative, meso-level quantitative index that would capture age-friendly employment practices in eight dimensions of good organizational practices. The results contribute to an understanding of how to improve organizational practices involving older employees. Overall, the SWI complements the AAI by focusing on good organizational practices that support the participation of older employees.

In times of increasing longevity and shortage of skilled workers, post-retirement work has become increasingly prevalent in many countries. However, not much is known about the expectations and facilitating factors associated with work-related activities after retirement. In two studies we draw on the social cognitive career theory and investigated the role of outcome expectations and facilitating factors in post-retirement career planning. First, we interviewed 22 older employees and subject matter experts in a German aerospace company to learn more about expectations of post-retirement work and its facilitating factors to build a theoretical model. Second, to test our theoretical model, 212 employees of the same company aged 50 to 65 completed a web-based survey. Results showed that outcome expectations and the facilitating factors identified in the interview study were significantly related to post-retirement career intention. Further, social approval moderated the relationship between outcome expectations and post-retirement career intention. We discuss implications of our findings in terms of how they inform retirement counselors, organizations, and society to help increase engagement in work-related activities after retirement. In times of rising longevity and shortage of skilled workers, post-retirement work has become increasingly prevalent in many countries. However, not much is known about the expectations and facilitating factors associated with work-related activities after retirement. In two studies we draw on the social cognitive career theory and investigated the role of outcome expectations and facilitating factors in post-retirement career planning. First, we interviewed 22 older employees and subject matter experts in a German aerospace company to learn more about expectations of post-retirement work and its facilitating factors to build a theoretical model. Second, to test our theoretical model, 212 employees of the same company aged 50 to 65 completed a web-based survey. Results showed that outcome expectations and the facilitating factors identified in the interview study were significantly related to post-retirement career intention. Further, the facilitating factor social approval moderated the relationship between outcome expectations and post-retirement career intention. We discuss implications of our findings in terms of how they inform retirement counselors, organizations, and society to help increase engagement in work-related activities after retirement.

Recently the broader German public and actors of the labor market have become more aware of challenges of the demographic change. The current debate started with the gradual increase of the retirement age to 67 in Germany, which was decided on in 2007 and has been the subject of controversy since then. Gradually also the phenomenon of work beyond retirement is being discussed. Following the very first analysis of Deller and Maxin (2009) of German microcensus data for work in retirement, Micheel and Panova (2013) also used microcensus data to look into two decades of work in retirement. These developments take place a few years before the retirement of the first German baby boomer cohorts and their necessary replacement in the labor market with cohorts that are smaller by hundreds of thousands of individuals per year. As a consequence, we can notice a growing interest in the intentions and behaviors of retiring cohorts regarding work in retirement.

Recently the broader German public and actors of the labor market have become more aware of challenges of the demographic change. The current debate started with the gradual increase of the retirement age to 67 in Germany, which was decided on in 2007 and has been the subject of controversy since then. Gradually also the phenomenon of work beyond retirement is being discussed. Following the very first analysis of Deller and Maxin (2009) of German microcensus data for work in retirement, Micheel and Panova (2013) also used microcensus data to look into two decades of work in retirement. These developments take place a few years before the retirement of the first German baby boomer cohorts and their necessary replacement in the labor market with cohorts that are smaller by hundreds of thousands of individuals per year. As a consequence, we can notice a growing interest in the intentions and behaviors of retiring cohorts regarding work in retirement.

It is only recently that the broader German public and labor market actors have become more aware of challenges of the demographic change. Gradually also the phenomena of work and other activities in retirement are being discussed. During the last years a growing number of authors have started to use already available data to analyze the extent and character of activities in retirement in Germany (cf. Deller & Pundt, in press). At the same time the topic has received wider attention on a European level as well (e.g., Eurofound, 2012). Therefore, a growing interest in the intentions and behaviors of retiring cohorts regarding work and other activities in retirement can be identified. A representative study looks at work and informal activities of 55-70 years old individuals in Germany It is only recently that the broader German public and labor market actors have become more aware of challenges of the demographic change. Gradually also the phenomena of work and other activities in retirement are being discussed. During the last years a growing number of authors have started to use already available data to analyze the extent and character of activities in retirement in Germany (cf. Deller & Pundt, in press). At the same time the topic has received wider attention on a European level as well (e.g., Eurofound, 2012). Therefore, a growing interest in the intentions and behaviors of retiring cohorts regarding work and other activities in retirement can be identified. A representative study looks at work and informal activities of 55-70 years old individuals in Germany.

One consequence of demographic change is a longer average remaining lifetime after retirement. Many people, however, remain able and willing to continue work after reaching the statutory retirement age. Given the predicted shortage of skilled workers in the future, post-retirement activities have the potential to contribute to both organisations and society. This article elaborates the prerequisites for productivity in retirement age and the changed nature of retirement at present. It also quantifies the extent to which activities are continued at retirement age. Paid employment still occurs beyond the applicable retirement age, whereby with increasing age, self-employed persons and assistant family members make up the lion's share of the statistics. An empirical study shows the concrete situation of active retirees and the prerequisites for post-retirement activities. At the explorative level, individual experiences of the transition into retirement, the reasons for and the framework of post-retirement activities, motivational factors in job design, and physical and intellectual demands before and after retirement are characterised. The qualitative data indicate that retirement entails changes towards more flexible structures in everyday life. Decisive reasons for taking up post-retirement activities are the desire to help, pass on knowledge or remain active; personal development and contact with others; and gaining appreciation and recognition. Flexible job design and freedom to make decisions constitute major elements in shaping postretirement working activities. Offering autonomy, skill variety, and task significance is important for the design of post-retirement activities. The paper closes with identifying relevant research fields and the concrete need to take action at individual, organisational, and societal levels. All in all, the transition from working life to retirement should be made flexible enough to do greater justice to the realities of life.