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Knowledge‐related interactions between older and younger employees are crucial for business success. Although research has contributed much to understanding why older employees share knowledge with younger colleagues, little is known about older employees' motivation to seek knowledge. In this study, we answer the question of how age‐inclusive human resources (HR) practices can foster older employees' knowledge seeking from younger colleagues. Drawing on social learning theory that conceptualises learning‐oriented behaviour (i.e. knowledge seeking) as being inextricably linked to social context and person‐related factors, we develop a dual pathway relation–opportunity model outlining how age‐inclusive HR practices foster older employees' development striving, which, in turn, promotes knowledge seeking from younger colleagues. On the one hand, we propose a relation‐based pathway that identifies contact quality with younger colleagues as a socio‐emotional mechanism linking age‐inclusive HR practices with knowledge seeking via development striving. On the other hand, we suggest an opportunity‐based pathway that identifies older employees' future time perspective as a person‐related mechanism. We find support for our hypotheses in a sample of 502 older employees who participated in a three‐wave survey. We discuss theoretical implications and encourage scholars to further shift the conversation towards an inclusive perspective that overcomes stereotypical views of older employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reworks the notion of active ageing through analysis of a case which reverses the retirement-migration nexus – people in the post-socialist realm who approach retirement age and then migrate to begin a new working life. They are thereby introducing a new and complex arrangement to the general concept of 'international retirement migration'. In the post-socialist world, new retirement migration frontiers emerge in the context of a severe weakening of welfare systems. I illustrate this case with data from long-term research with ageing Latvian migrant women to the United Kingdom and the Nordic countries. Even those whose old-age pensions are more or less adequate nevertheless seek temporary employment and new cultural experiences abroad. However, the dominant trend has been towards the pauperisation of older parents and those approaching retirement age due to the significant decline in state welfare. This case of many older-age Latvians who de facto cannot retire due to low disposable income reveals 'reverse frontiers of retirement': working as long as they can, pushing their personal geographical frontiers outward by emigrating for work and making national frontiers more porous through transnational practices. Conceptually and geographically, the research holds relevance for a wider discussion of trends and contextual factors in other post-Soviet and post-socialist countries with increasing diversities among retirees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article investigates the association between youth and older workers' employment participation in the United Kingdom using yearly data provided by the Labor Force Survey. Presenting a short state of the art, the paper shows that, with few exceptions, empirical analyses usually assume that increasing the labor market participation of the older workers does not affect negatively youth employment. Nevertheless, testing several variables and three different statistical models, the empirical part of the article nuances this evidence. The association between youth employment participation and older workers' employment participation tends to be significantly after controlling for public policy outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing longevity and the strain on state and occupational pensions have brought into question long-held assumptions about the age of retirement, and raised the prospect of a workplace populated by ageing workers. In the United Kingdom the default retirement age has gone, incremental increases in state pension age are being implemented and ageism has been added to workplace anti-discrimination laws. These changes are yet to bring about the anticipated transformation in workplace demographics, but it is coming, making it timely to ask if the workplace is ready for the ageing worker and how the extension of working life will be managed. We report findings from qualitative case studies of five large organisations located in the United Kingdom. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with employees, line managers, occupational health staff and human resources managers. Our findings reveal a high degree of uncertainty and ambivalence among workers and managers regarding the desirability and feasibility of extending working life; wide variations in how older workers are managed within workplaces; a gap between policies and practices; and evidence that while casualisation might be experienced negatively by younger workers, it may be viewed positively by financially secure older workers seeking flexibility. We conclude with a discussion of the challenges facing employers and policy makers in making the modern workplace fit for the ageing worker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Much research has sought to understand how people construct their careers; however, only little is known about the career construction of older workers. To understand how people construct their careers in later life, we take a lifespan development perspective on career construction theory. Specifically, we propose and test a model in which we take a closer look at older workers' career adaptability and aging experience (i.e., physical loss, social loss, personal growth, and gaining self-knowledge) as relevant factors shaping their late career planning. Moreover, we explore whether these relationships are mediated by older workers' occupational future time perspective as an important underlying mechanism between adaptability resources (i.e., career adaptability), experiences (i.e., aging experience), and adapting responses (i.e., late career planning). We test our model with two-wave longitudinal data from a sample of older workers (aged 50 to 79) based in the United Kingdom. Results show that occupational future time perspective mediated the positive effects of career adaptability and personal growth, as well as the negative effect of physical loss on late career planning. Overall, our findings contribute to a better understanding of late career construction and offers practical implications for older workers to purse activities that help them to successfully plan their late career. Highlights • Occupational future time perspective is positively related to late career planning. • Career adaptability is positively related to late career planning. • Aging experience has differential effects on late career planning. • Occupational future time perspective mediates these relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the complexity of the retirement process, most research treats it as an abrupt and one-way transition. Our study takes a different approach by examining retirement reversals (unretirement) and their predictors. Using the British Household Panel Survey (1991–2008), and following participants into Understanding Society (2010–2015), we undertake a survival analysis to investigate retirement reversals among Britons aged 50–69 years who were born in 1920–1959 (N = 2,046). Unretirement was defined as: (a) reporting being retired and subsequently recommencing paid employment, or (b) beginning full-time work following partial retirement (the latter defined here as reporting being retired and working fewer than 30 hours per week). A cumulative proportion of around 25 per cent of participants experienced a retirement reversal after reporting being retired; about half of these reversals occurred within the first five years of retirement. Unretirement was more common for participants who were male, more educated, in better health, owned a house with a mortgage (compared to owning it outright) and whose partner was in paid work. However, unretirement rates were not higher for participants in greater financial need, whether measured as subjective assessment of finances or household income quintiles. These results suggest that unretirement is a strategy more often used by those who are already advantaged and that it has the potential to exacerbate income inequalities in later life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Japan has the most aged population in the world. Not only do people live longer in Japan, they also age better. While the ageing population reflects a success story driven by lifestyle factors and health promotion initiatives, it also results in challenges for policymakers, families and older people. Other countries with ageing population profiles, such as the UK, can learn from the Japanese experience. In this article, the authors focus on the potential of health promotion strategies, social connections and technology to enhance well-being in older age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used a person-centred approach to explore typologies of older manual workers based on presenteeism, stress resilience, and physical activity. Older manual workers ( n = 217; 69.1% male; age range 50-77; M age = 57.11 years; SD = 5.62) from a range of UK-based organisations, representing different manual job roles, took part in the study. A cross-sectional survey design was used. Based on the three input variables: presenteeism, stress resilience and physical activity, four distinct profiles were identified on using Latent Profile Analysis. One group ('High sport/exercise and well-functioning'; 5.50%) engaged in high levels of sport/exercise and exhibited low levels of stress resilience and all types of presenteeism. Another profile ('Physically burdened'; 9.70%) reported high levels of work and leisure-time physical activity, low stress resilience, as well as high levels of presenteeism due to physical and time demands. A 'Moderately active and functioning' group (46.50%) exhibited moderate levels on all variables. Finally, the fourth profile ('Moderately active with high presenteeism'; 38.20%) reported engaging in moderate levels of physical activity and had relatively high levels of stress resilience, yet also high levels of presenteeism. The profiles differed on work affect and health perceptions largely in the expected directions. There were no differences between the profiles in socio-demographics. These results highlight complex within-person interactions between presenteeism, stress resilience, and physical activity in older manual workers. The identification of profiles of older manual workers who are at risk of poor health and functioning may inform targeted interventions to help retain them in the workforce for longer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers recent changes in the incidence of caring among people aged 50-64 in England and the policy context in which these have occurred. After introducing the topic, research questions addressed and methods used, it outlines findings from other research on how older workers experience and manage caring roles. It then sets out relevant public policy developments since carers were first accorded rights to recognition and services in 1995, focusing on workplace support, local services and financial help for people who reduce or quit their paid work to care. The article presents new analyses of the population censuses conducted in England in 2001 and 2011, focusing on people aged 50-64 and especially on those aged 60-64, the group in which the largest changes were seen. Theses show growth in caring at higher levels of intensity for older workers, and increases in the incidence of caring alongside paid work. To deepen understanding of these changes, the analysis also draws on data from a government survey of carers conducted in 2009-10. The concluding discussion argues that although the modest policy changes implemented since 1995 have provided some support to older workers managing work and care, more policy attention needs to be given following the sharp increase in the incidence of caring seen among people aged 50-64 in England between 2001 and 2011. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the employment rates of people of pension age have increased considerably. However, longitudinal evidence on the effects of this employment on wellbeing which might contribute to an evaluation of this late-life work is scarce. Based on empirical findings so far and on theoretical approaches to wellbeing, work and retirement, both negative and positive effects of post-retirement work on life satisfaction are plausible. In this paper, we investigate the effects of taking up work again between the ages of 65 and 75 on life satisfaction in different occupational classes in Germany and the United Kingdom. We expect that not only the heterogeneous conditions and experiences of working are crucial for the consequences that post-retirement work has for life satisfaction, but also the institutional arrangements surrounding this form of work. We use data from the German Socio-Economic Panel and the British Household Panel Survey, covering the 1990s and 2000s. Based on fixed-effects regression modelling, we find positive effects of working in both countries, although not all effects are significant. Differentiating by the class of the job in which the older person works, we find mainly positive effects and no significant differences between those who work in a lower-class job and all others. In addition, we find that the positive effect of working on life satisfaction is partly explained by increased satisfaction with household income for those working in a lower-class job in the United Kingdom. We conclude that many of the pessimistic assumptions about people working after pension age cannot be confirmed for our time of observation. However, there are several reasons for believing that the results will be different in the future or for differently defined populations of people working past pension age. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose Cross-section data suggest that the relationship between age and hourly earnings is an inverted U shape. Evidence from panel data does not necessarily confirm this finding suggesting that older workers may not experience a reduction in earnings at the end of their working life. The paper aims to discuss this issue.Design/methodology/approach In this paper the authors use panel data on males for Great Britain in order to examine why the two types of data provide conflicting conclusions. Concentrating on the over 50s, several hypotheses are examined: overlapping cohorts, job tenure, job-changing, labour supply behaviour, and selectivity bias.Findings Cohort and individual fixed effects partly explain the divergent conclusions. However, for fully, year-on-year employed individuals, there is no evidence of earnings decline at the end of working life. The authors find no role for selectivity due to retirement, although shorter working hours or partial retirement along with job-changing late in life does provide an explanation for why hourly earnings decline for certain older workers.Originality/value The authors find no evidence that the process of ageing itself leads to lower earnings as suggested by the cross-section profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is about working with people with learning disabilities to develop a research (or 'finding out') study. We worked with people from Reach, a group-advocacy project, which is part of Assist in Staffordshire, to write clear and simple information sheets and consent forms to help people with learning disabilities and dementia to participate in a research study. We also worked with members of Reach to create appropriate, clear and simple interview questions to ask people with learning disabilities and dementia about their experiences. Working alongside people with learning disabilities helps to ensure the work is fit for purpose. There has been an increase in inclusive research in the learning disability field; however, this has not been reflected within learning disability and dementia research, where little is known from the perspective of people with learning disabilities. This paper will define inclusive research, explore reasons for the dearth of inclusive dementia research, and identify the challenges of conducting dementia research involving people with learning disabilities. Examples of working with people with learning disabilities to develop elements of a PhD research study will be detailed and critically discussed. These experiences aided the creation of accessible material about dementia for a PhD research study. Subsequently, this helped to overcome challenges of communication within the research study and helped to promote the participation of people with learning disabilities and dementia. Sharing these ideas about how we worked together will help others who are seeking to engage and achieve more inclusive research practices with marginalised populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Demographic trends in developed countries have prompted governmental policies aimed at extending working lives. However, working beyond the traditional retirement age may not be feasible for those with major health problems of ageing, and depending on occupational and personal circumstances, might be either good or bad for health. To address these uncertainties, we have initiated a new longitudinal study.Methods/design: We recruited some 8000 adults aged 50-64 years from 24 British general practices contributing to the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD). Participants have completed questionnaires about their work and home circumstances at baseline, and will do so regularly over follow-up, initially for a 5-year period. With their permission, we will access their primary care health records via the CPRD. The inter-relation of changes in employment (with reasons) and changes in health (e.g., major new illnesses, new treatments, mortality) will be examined.Discussion: CPRD linkage allows cost-effective frequent capture of detailed objective health data with which to examine the impact of health on work at older ages and of work on health. Findings will inform government policy and also the design of work for older people and the measures needed to support employment in later life, especially for those with health limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the issue regarding the workforce development in Great Britain and mentions the government's efforts to provide opportunities for older people who want to work at retirement ages.

Flexible working time arrangements may promote and support the employment of older workers, helping to extend working lives. However, existing laws around working time have significant limitations, as working time is largely left to managerial discretion. As a result, working time laws are having limited practical impact in some Member States. There is therefore a need to consider how employment and working practices could be re-envisaged to better suit the modern experience of work and ageing. Drawing on qualitative data from seventeen interviews conducted with United Kingdom (UK) experts in the employment of older workers, this article evaluates the practical merit of working time ideas from the literature. It argues that ideas around working time are difficult to apply to the individualized UK working time model. Thus, we must seriously consider how approaches to working time can be translated into meaningful and practical reforms that effectively mediate the interests of employers and employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is prompted by the abolition in the UK of the default retirement age; in particular, it will consider the impact on individuals seeking, or in continuing work, and on organisations needing to manage older workers. Underpinning the article is the hypothesis that as the removal of a compulsory retirement age allows an increasing number of people to work beyond their 65th birthday, organisations will need to develop policies to cope with increasing numbers of workers in their late 60s, 70s and beyond. Here, we focus on the need for employers to plan for an ageing workforce in respect of the health and safety issues which will result from employing increasing numbers of older workers. Firstly, the article considers what evidence exists as to whether there will be an increase in the number of older workers. Secondly, it examines decisions of the European Court of Justice and the Supreme Court in relation to retirement age and the possibility of an employer justified retirement age. Finally, it focuses on the occupational health and safety issues faced by older workers and those for whom they work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article assesses the effectiveness of United Kingdom age discrimination law in protecting older workers from claims that they are less productive and perform more poorly than younger workers. The article assesses employer perceptions and the incompatibility of such perceptions with existing research and the current interpretation of age discrimination law by the CJEU and the Supreme Court which accords with such research. The effectiveness of age discrimination law in practice is assessed through an analysis of existing compensation reduction rules. The article concludes that the existing rules which allow for a reduction in compensation payable where there is a chance that the same outcome would have been reached in the absence of discrimination (the 'chance model') reduces the effectiveness of the existing protections. A move to a 'certainty model' would be less speculative, would serve the objectives of anti-discrimination law and would reduce concerns about compatibility with EU law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this research paper is to identify the perceptions and stereotypical views of hotel managers to older employees in the British hotel industry, with a focus on the north of England, and to determine the equal opportunities policies and practices of hotels in relation to older workers and the types of jobs deemed suitable or not suitable for older employees. Design/methodology/approach – The method used in this exploratory study was a survey incorporating a postal questionnaire. The questionnaire was sent to 144 hotel managers in hotels with a minimum of 20 bedrooms in the north of England. In all, 36 completed questionnaires were returned. Data were analysed using Predictive Analytics Software (PASW). Findings – The results of the survey clearly point to hotel managers having overwhelmingly positive views of older workers (confirming the findings of Magd's, 2003 survey), although some managers did age-stereotype certain jobs as being not suitable or suitable for older hotel workers. Research limitations/implications – The principal limitations concern the use of a questionnaire to measure the attitudes of hotel managers, the use of a non-probability sampling technique and the relatively small sample size. Practical implications – Given the UK's ageing population and labour shortages in the hotel industry, it is important that hotel managers address negative stereotypical views of older workers and the jobs deemed suitable for these workers. Originality/value – As the hotel industry is a major contributor to employment in the UK, a lack of empirical data on managers' perceptions of older hotel workers is a significant omission that this paper seeks to redress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on age discrimination laws in the U.S. and Great Britain. Topics include the lack of protection for the aging workforce in both countries, age bias at corporations, and how ageism in employment impacts society. Information is provided on the ability of older workers to attain a dignified retirement.

Purpose – How will labour markets adapt to population ageing? The demographic shift to be experienced over coming decades requires some sort of adjustment in working lives to balance increased longevity. But where in the lifecycle should this adjustment take place? It often seems to be assumed that ever-longer working lives are the only answer: the purpose of this article is to query this assumption and to suggest that there should be a balance of employment and other uses of time across the entire lifecycle. Design/methodology/approach – The article analyses the impact of increased economic activity on the dependency ratio and it identifies plausible upper bounds to employment objectives by age and gender using international comparative data. Findings – Increased employment for over-65s is likely to have limited impact on age dependency ratio: bigger impacts would be expected from the 55-65 age group and younger women. Originality/value – The article brings comparative evidence to bear on labour market implications of population ageing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to gain insight into the prevalence of entrepreneurial activity amongst older people, and whether such activity may be an option for them to extend their working lives. Design/methodology/approach – Research was conducted amongst the Policy Voice database of respondents at the Institute of Directors, members who have volunteered their time to answer research questions on a variety of public policy issues. Undertaken electronically, a series of questions were asked of respondents relating to their age and business activities. Amplification by verbatim comments was requested, which gave qualitative context to the quantitative answers received. Over 1,200 responses to the survey were received. Findings – Starting, running or continuing in individual business or entrepreneurial activity would appear to be surprisingly commonplace amongst the research sample, suggesting that there might be more older entrepreneurs amongst the population as a whole than might have previously been supposed. For those with the requisite skills and personal attributes, entrepreneurship in later life would appear to be a valid option for extending working lives. Research limitations/implications – Research responses were from a membership base biased towards A, B, and C1 socio-economic groups. Originality/value – There have been very limited studies of entrepreneurial and business activity amongst older people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article considers relations between the generations, with particular attention given to older workers, who also face the pressures of responsibilities to both parents and children. The situations in Norway and the UK are compared. The case is made for support structures, such as senior quality circles, at the threshold between employment and retirement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The age at which statutory and private pensions are being paid is increasing in many countries and hence more people will need to work into their late 60s and beyond. At present, relatively little is known about the meanings of work for people who actively choose to work into their later life. This qualitative study examined the subjective benefits of continuing in a paid job or self-employment beyond the age of 65 in the United Kingdom. Thirty-one participants were interviewed, aged 65-91 years (median age 71), with 11 females and 20 males. Fourteen were working full-time and seventeen part-time. Interview transcripts were subject to thematic analysis. Although financial reward was acknowledged (more so by the female participants and the males who had young second families), there was more elaboration of the role of work in maintaining health and enabling continuing personal development. Work was framed as increasing personal control over later life, lifestyle choices and active participation in wider society, an antithesis to "cruising". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A prominent business case for employing older people in the 2000s suggests diverse employment opportunities existed for Britons over 65, despite their limited employment rights. However, it is hypothesized that employees over 65 were disproportionately segregated into less desired ‘Lopaq’ occupations: these were low paid, required few qualifications and were often part-time. The UK is contrasted with the USA, a country with long-established age discrimination legislation; the Labour Force Survey and Current Population Survey are analysed. A greater UK concentration in Lopaq occupations suggests employers, working in a context of limited employee rights, selectively retained and recruited people in their 60s to these jobs. An alternative explanation, that Lopaq employment levels reflected the characteristics of those choosing to work, is unsupported by logistic regression analysis. US evidence suggests that the 2011 default retirement age abolition will weaken UK Lopaq occupational segregation after 65 more than voluntaristic commitments to ‘age-diversity’. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Policy makers have introduced a number of measures to encourage older workers to stay in the labour market, with improving access to training a particular priority. Policy action appeared justified by evidence that older workers are less likely to participate in training, and more likely to have never been offered training by employers – a key finding of Taylor and Urwin’s (2001) review of Labour Force Survey (LFS) data from 1997. This article models LFS data from 2007 to assess whether age remained a predictor of inequalities in training. It finds that men over 50 remained among those least likely to have been offered training by employers. There were other significant inequalities in participation, suggesting a polarization in access to jobs that offer opportunities for training and progression. The article concludes that policies promoting ‘active ageing’ need to challenge negative employer attitudes and acknowledge fundamental inequalities in access to skills. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article reexamines the role of specific human capital and back loading of compensation as deterrents to hiring older workers. We utilize the framework initially suggested by Hutchens (1986) and more recently implemented by Daniel and Heywood (2007). This approach identifies the extent to which firms hire older workers at a rate less than full replacement would imply. Using the 2004 British Workplace Employment Relations Survey, we examine whether a more favourable climate including a much tighter UK labour market combined with the abandonment of defined benefit pension schemes has increased the tendency to hire older workers. We also examine the impact of private health insurance. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a UK older worker's perspective on the influences of multiple work and non-work related commitments on their decision to extend working lives or to retire. As demographic change and economic challenges related to the financing of health care and pension plans affect retirement policies, this paper seeks to explore the individual worker's perspective. Their choice is framed by seeking to balance financial security in later life with the positive elements of work and the desire to match work with other commitments, something hardly taken into consideration by employers. Design/methodology/approach – The paper combines findings from existing research studies and UK based, semi-structured interviews conducted as part of two ESF (European Social Fund) funded projects aiming at extending labour market participation for older workers. Key areas, such as retirement planning, training, flexibility and health are explored and the organisational identities/commitment literature provides a conceptual framework for understanding the push and pull factors associated with labour market exit among the over 50s. Findings – Fundamental to the success of changes in government pension policies in terms of extending labour market participation of older workers is the element of individual agency rather than a view of victimisation. Viewing older workers as the ones who have to pay for increasing life expectancy by working longer could lead to people staying in work for the wrong reasons, negatively affecting productivity and job satisfaction. The discussion and conclusion stress the need for deeper understanding of work as one contributor to overall quality of life. Originality/value – The political agenda to prolong working lives is principally driven by economic arguments. However, for any future policies to lead to an intrinsic motivation to want to remain in work, the voices of older workers express the desire to combine work with non-work related commitments and identities. Achieving such balance could benefit the whole labour force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background In the UK, increasing numbers of paid employees are over 60 years with further increases expected as the state pension age rises. Some concern surrounds possible increased work-related illness and accidents for people working beyond the age of 60.Aims To identify the available evidence for health and safety risks of workers over age 60 years with respect to factors associated with injuries and accidents.Methods Databases searched included PUBMED, OSHUpdate, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSHTIC-2), SafetyLit, the UK The Health and Safety Executive (HSELINE) and the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety until December 2009. Inclusion criteria were workers aged over 60 years. Findings were grouped into occupational accidents and injuries and individual and workplace factors that may have influenced risk of injury to the over-60s.Results Very little direct evidence was found concerning safety practices and health risks of workers over age 60. Some safety risks were associated with specific physical declines such as age-related hearing loss. Overall, these workers had fewer accidents and injuries but these were more likely to be serious or fatal when they occurred. There was no strong evidence that work patterns, including shift work or overtime, affected safety. Protective, compensatory strategies or experience may maintain safe working practices.Conclusions Implications for health and safety risks cannot be assessed without longitudinal research on workforces with substantial numbers of workers over age 60 in order to address the healthy worker effect. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Part-Time (PT) work is viewed as a viable option for people who wish to have a gradual transition to retirement. From a policy viewpoint, this may help to alleviate some labour supply shortages and fiscal pressures, especially in the context of the ageing population. Factors such as health or pension provision may influence a person's decision to work PT. This article considers the impact of health on the work decision of people aged 50 and over in the UK and Ireland. Methodological issues are discussed and the impact of unobserved individual effects is estimated using the Mundlak (1978) estimator applied to the multinomial probit model. We find that health problems increase the probability of retirement for this age group in both countries. In Britain, those with health problems are less likely to work full time and more likely to work PT, however in Ireland, health problems appear to have no effect on the probability of PT work. This article discusses the potential reasons for these impacts and current policies on PT work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decisions around retirement and continued labor market participation are of great significance for those who make them, as well as policy makers, researchers, welfare states, and pension programs. The literature acknowledges the multifaceted nature of these choices and particularly the interaction of key variables—job satisfaction, financial status, caring responsibilities, spouse’s plans, and health. This article explores this latter factor, challenging assumptions that it can be treated as an unproblematic independent variable. Analyzing qualitative data from interviews with 96 people approaching or in the midst of retirement, the subjective experience of health and its effect on decisions was strongly evident. The socialized context—as shaped at societal, organizational, household, and individual-life-historical levels—was crucial in understanding how similar symptoms of morbidity resulted in widely varying decisions/outcomes. Direct interpersonal experiences, shaped by social structures, were useful in explaining the prevalence of health pessimism, despite general increases in life expectancy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study of emeritus professors at an English university aims to stimulate debate about their professional and leisure activities in retirement, how much use they make of their university’s facilities and how much use their universities make of them. It reveals that about half remain very happily active in teaching and research, though not always remunerated for it or recognised by their universities for their contributions. Unlike their North American counterparts, hardly any have celebratory rites of passage to emeritus status, or emeritus associations or centres that they can join. There was some disquiet amongst emeriti about their status and no university policy about using emeriti’s contributions, but generally England’s emeriti are healthily active, enjoying a wide range of activities and some contacts with their previous careers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of population ageing and low retirement incomes, the UK government is encouraging delayed retirement. However, the OECD has argued that UK means-tested benefits disincentivise employment for the poorest, and Vickerstaff (2006b) has suggested managers have typically controlled opportunities to work beyond 65. In the US, contrastingly, benefits are meagre and difficult to access, and age discrimination legislation protects individuals from forced retirement. Would a US ‘self-reliance’ policy approach increase employment amongst the poorest over 65s in the UK and enhance or diminish their financial position? The evidence suggests that extending UK age discrimination legislation and restricting benefits would increase overall employment past 65, although not necessarily to US levels. Analysis of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing and the US Health and Retirement Study finds the poorest over 65s were more likely to work in the USA than in England in 2002. However, within the USA, employment amongst the poorest was still low, especially compared with wealthier groups; logistic regression analysis primarily attributes this to lower levels of health and education. A US policy approach would therefore most likely damage the financial position of the poorest in the UK, as increased employment would not sufficiently compensate for lost benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We pursue a comparative analysis of employers’ age management practices in Britain and Germany, asking how valid ‘convergence’ and ‘Varieties of Capitalism’ theories are. After rejecting the convergence verdict, we proceed to ask how far ‘path dependence’ helps explain inter-country differences. Through 19 interviews with British and German experts, we find that firms have reacted in different ways to promptings from the EU and the two states. Change has been modest and a rhetoric-reality gap exists in firms as they seek to hedge. We point to continuities in German institutional methods of developing new initiatives, and the emerging role of British NGOs in helping firms and the state develop new options. We argue that ‘path dependence’ offers insight into the national comparison, but also advance the idea of national modes of firm option-exploration as an important way of conceptualizing the processes involved. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

One of the key consequences of an ageing world has been to cast research and policy spotlights onto the 'older workforce'. Approaches have differed between countries, but common supply-oriented initiatives include encouraging people to work longer by removing barriers to entering, or remaining in, work, and providing disincentives to leave work 'early', i.e. before or at retirement age. Less attention has been paid to the demand for older workers, although various legislative approaches have prevailed upon employers to adopt fairer employment practices or to manage actively their ageing workforce. Using the case of the United Kingdom as its starting point, this article draws upon an international body of research to appraise critically some of the key contemporary concerns and debates surrounding the employability of older workers, taken here to mean those aged 50 years and over. It questions the extent to which the hold on early retirement is weakening; investigates employers' practices and attitudes towards older workers; examines trends in age discrimination; and takes into account the often neglected voice in these debates-that of the older workers themselves. The article concludes by considering some implications for current and future attempts to alter the balance between work and the rest of our lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Populations across Europe are ageing as death rates among the old and fertility rates among the young fall. This produces a number of long-term challenges for national governments - most notably, coping with the increased demand for social services, pensions and benefits that must be funded by a declining proportion of working adults. One policy response has been to extend people's working lives, but we know relatively little about the skills and employment experiences of older workers and how these compare with younger workers. This paper sheds new light on this issue by examining whether older workers do less well than their younger counterparts in terms of the skills of the jobs they hold, the quality of their working lives, their commitment to their current employer and to employment in general, and their attitudes towards and experiences of training. The paper also assesses whether these age gaps have closed over time. The empirical evidence for the paper is from five separate but comparable surveys carried out in 1986, 1992, 1997, 2001 and 2006. Taken together, the five surveys provide information on the employment experiences of over 22,000 workers in Great Britain. This allows us to chart whether we are witnessing the disappearance of at least some of the age divisions in the labour market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The challenges posed by an ageing population and a diminished tradition of saving for retirement leave some complex and controversial choices for the Coalition government on pensions. , Minister of State for Pensions, outlines the Coalition's plans for pension reform and support for older workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006, the United Kingdom government set a 'default ' retirement age of 65 years after which an employer can compulsorily retire workers, and made it obligatory for employers to consider the ' business case ' for any employees' requests to continue in work after the default age. This is a ' light touch' approach to reducing age discrimination at the workplace and to changing the established ' culture of retirement'. While encouraging productive staff to remain in post beyond 65 years of age, it leaves implementation of the policies and achievement of their goals to the discretion of employers. This article explores how British employers are adapting to the law, by drawing from interviews with 70 managers from a wide range of organisations. Overall the collected evidence shows the limits of a business case approach as a means of changing employers' practices. It was found that line managers, rather than senior managers or human resources specialists, generally decide which employees can stay employed after age 65 years. Consequently, the research suggests that opportunities for workers aged 65 or more years to stay employed are more the result of individual arrangements with their immediate managers than changes in an organisation's policies and practices. Altogether, the evidence suggests that consolidation rather than eradication of the established retirement culture has occurred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study estimates the effect of increases in age on 16 health problems that affect paid work for men and women in the United Kingdom. The analysis is based on a sample of the United Kingdom household population from the Office for National Statistics Labour Force Survey of 2007. Using multinomial logit regressions, the results reveal considerable diversity in the relationships between age and the reported prevalence of health problems that affect work. In particular, problems with heart, blood and circulation, arms and hands, legs and feet were strongly related to age, while difficulties in seeing and hearing, skin conditions and allergies appeared not to be more prevalent among older workers than younger employees. Regarding gender differences, it was found that, in general, women's health-related ability to participate in work was less affected by age, but that they suffered particular problems with arms and hands, skin conditions, allergies and depression. Finally, the study analyses the non-linear effects of unit increases in age. Such analysis may usefully identify the ages (or inflection points) at which ageing intensifies its effects on occupational health. These findings point to the importance of intervention at the appropriate time, when preventive measures may avoid the exacerbation of the health problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the presence of hours constraints on the UK labor market and its effect on older workers labor supply. Using panel data for the period 199 1-2004, the results from a competing risks model show that over-employed male workers can freely reduce working hours with their current employer before retiring completely. However, some over-employed women are observed to leave the labor market early due to hours constraints. This suggests that more flexibility in working hours can increase the labor market participation for some older workers as has often been suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses employers' attitudes and actions regarding the position of older workers. A comparative survey among employers from four European countries - Greece, Spain, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom - is used to examine their expectations with respect to the ageing of the workforce, the productivity of older workers and their recruitment and retention behaviour regarding this cohort. The results show that in spite of the perceived challenges ahead (including the ageing workforce), employers take no substantial measures to retain and recruit older workers or improve their productivity. Only employers in the United Kingdom seem to recognize older workers as a valuable source of labour supply and act accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Detection and treatment of undiagnosed refractive error (RE) with its attendant functional consequences, is a priority of VISION 2020, the global initiative against avoidable visual disability. The authors investigated the frequency of visual impairment due to undiagnosed RE and its associations with vision-related quality of life (VRQOL), general health and social circumstances in a contemporary and nationally representative population of British working-age adults. Methods: 9271 members of the 1958 British birth cohort had visual acuity and VRQOL assessed at 44/45 years. The authors compared those with undiagnosed RE with those with diagnosed RE, defining undiagnosed RE as ⩾0.2 IogMAR units/2 lines acuity improvement in both eyes with pinhole in individuals without current or prior optical treatment or ophthalmic history. Results: 144/9271 (1.6%) individuals had undiagnosed and 3513/9271 (37.9%) diagnosed RE. 18% (24/144) of those with undiagnosed RE were classifiable as visually impaired. Individuals with undiagnosed RE were more likely to have a manual (vs non-manual) occupation and to be separated, divorced or widowed, and less likely to be in social or professional organisations. There is also some evidence that they are more likely to express concern, embarrassment and frustration about their eyesight and worry about coping with life. Conclusion: A significant proportion of working age adults in Britain appear to have undiagnosed but visually significant RE. Improvements in existing opportunities for detecting RE in adults could benefit these individuals during their working lives and avoid the serious adverse consequences associated with vision impairment in later life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present and future security of employee-pension funding remains at the forefront of public debate across Europe and beyond. In the United Kingdom, to finance future pension entitlements it has been suggested that the state pension age be increased. This paper presents the results of analyses of four major national social surveys that have explored the working and living conditions of workers in paid employment after the state pension age. Comparing the circumstances of these workers with workers just below that age illustrates the extent to which it constitutes a break in the working and domestic lives of older people. The findings suggest that, in order to accommodate older workers in the workplace, more attention may need to be placed on informal as well as contractual arrangements of flexible working. Beyond part-time working, older workers rarely take up additional or alternative flexible working arrangements. At the same time, older workers continue to experience housework as burdensome, while in partnered households the gendered division of domestic labour prevails. Research and policy have yet to consider in depth these risks associated with working longer in life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population ageing has intensified the need to maximise employment rates among those aged 50-69, yet the perspective of midlife men and women themselves concerning employment and retirement, and how these may shift in response to policy trends, is little understood. The research analyses attitudes to employment among British midlife men and women, focussing on changes during the 1990s. Data from the British sample of two cross-sectional surveys of the International Social Survey Programme, 1989 and 1997, that provide information on work orientations, are used to measure differences between two cohorts in the same age groups. Where there were differences between the two cohorts, some indicated less positive orientation towards employment. Thus the perceived importance of work declined significantly across the 1990s. However, the later cohort showed a slightly less instrumental attitude to work than the earlier, explained by their longer education. Those who were employed were more likely to show work commitment, valuing a job irrespective of financial need, compared with those who were not employed. Among employed men, those in the later cohort were less likely to think their job was secure or their pay high, compared with the earlier cohort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measures that challenge ageism in employment are among the most prominent policy approaches towards reversing the dramatic decline over the last two decades in the labour market participation of older workers in developed economies. In Britain, such measures have evolved through three related phases: the 'business case' approach; equality routes, incorporating equal opportunities and diversity policies; and progress towards anti-age discrimination legislation. Discriminatory attitudes displayed by employers have been overemphasized in explaining early exit from the labour market. Paradoxically, targeting such prejudice and ignorance through the business case approach has narrowed the scope for challenging more covert forms of ageism in employment. Nor is age easily incorporated into equal opportunities and diversity agendas in effective ways. Moreover, legislation will need to depart significantly from the principles underlying voluntary approaches if it is to be successful. The ambiguity and fluidity of the ageism concept also allow scope for opportunistic responses on the part of labour market actors that can be detrimental to the interests of older workers, and preoccupation with ageism may therefore act to impede progress towards more targeted, co-ordinated and effective policy responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High effective tax rates on work at and around state pension age deter participation. An example is the ‘earnings test’ operating in several OECD countries. The United States abolished its test for the 65+ age group in 2000. The United Kingdom offers a ‘natural experiment’ of this reform, as it abolished its test, known as the ‘earnings rule’, in 1989. We examine the effect of this change, taking account of the opportunity to defer pension rights. Abolition of the rule raised working hours of older male workers by around 4 hours a week, with a lesser impact on women’s behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the retirement and income of aged people in Great Britain. Evidence from the British Household Panel Survey from 1991–1999; Association between old age, retirement and low income; Differences in poverty entry among retired personnel.

The article discusses the report "Winning the Generation Game--Improving Opportunities for People Aged 50-65 in Work and Community Activity," published by the Great Britain Cabinet Office Performance and Innovation Unit in April 2000. The report explored the decrease in the labor market participation of older workers in Great Britain. It highlighted the problems of early retirement and inactivity among older workers. It also explained the implications of decreasing older workers' labor participation for the labor market.