Work, Retirement and Leisure

PS277 – Lecture 14

Outline

Older Workers – Satisfaction and Adaptation

Retirement – History and Timing

Retirement as a Life Transition – Theory and Satisfaction Research

Leisure and Volunteer Activities in Retirement – Computer Usage, Volunteering

I. What Do We Know about Age and Worker Satisfaction? Data from Warr (1992),

1700 people in UK

Job characteristics like decision scope, working conditions, income matter, but age still a factor…what else may explain?

Work life review may become more positive, overall life satisfaction goes up, etc.

3.7

3.8

3.9

4

4.1

4.2

4.3

4.4

18-24

25-34

35-49

50-64

JobPos

SOC Model and Adaptations to Job Roles

in Workers (Abraham & Hansson, 1995)

Selection, Optimization and Compensation

Participants in this study were workers aged 40 – 69, both men and women. Completed questionnaires on successful aging in the workplace

Measured SOC as well as goal attainment and “maintenance of performance and abilities”

SOC Example Items on the Job Scales Selection: I now try to focus my work efforts on a

narrower range of tasks. I now try not to waste time on less important job

responsibilities.

Optimization: I now am more likely to participate in training to polish rusty skills and abilities.

I now pay more attention to keeping up my work skills and abilities.

Compensation: I now try to let others know about my special skills and knowledge.

I now try to make my accomplishments more visible to my boss.

Age Differences in Correlations between SOC and Goal Attainment

Scale < Age 50 > Age 50

Selection .06 .23**

Optimization .19 .45**

Compensation .02 .23**

II. What Factors Influence the Timing of Retirement? Age and “expected norms”

Health – 1 to 3 yrs earlier for those in poor health

Having minor children

Financial resources to support retirement

Level of interest in work

Spouse patterns

Gender differences

Timing: Work Participation by Age and Gender, 1950 to Present – US

Older men’s participation declined over past 60 years, particularly after age 64

Women’s participation increased substantially from 55 to age 64 (consistent with data for younger workers)

These patterns might change with current economy!

Choosing Not to Retire?

About 15% of Canadians over 65 continue to work (2000)

Includes two groups: those who have never retired from their long-term occupations and those who retired and went into something new (often part-time)

Some people with very low benefits and skills continue working out of necessity – might grow these days!

More of these are highly educated professionals who resist retirement – e.g., doctors, lawyers, university professors, etc.

Financial Support and Retirement Policy - History Old age pension legislation was introduced in Canada in

1927

65 was chosen as age of retirement in North America because of German chancellor’s earlier policies – somewhat arbitrary

Most people lived a much shorter life span in those days, and many fewer people reached 65 and retirement at all

Social Security and first US recipient: 1940 was date of first cheque issued in US. First US recipient was Ida Fuller of Vermont, who paid in $22 into the system, lived for 35 more years and drew out $21,000!

What about Mandatory Retirement and Policies? Should older university faculty be forced to retire? Is this

discriminatory?

Supreme Court originally held that it is under Charter of Rights, but that this is justified under some conditions, allowed provinces to decide what to do about this individually

Ontario has moved to do away with mandatory retirement quite recently (most other provinces too)

What do you think about this at universities? What might be some arguments for and against?

III. Historical Theories of Retirement Satisfaction Crisis Theory: Loss of work leads to lower self-esteem,

identity crisis, withdrawal, illness, etc.

Continuity Theory: Not too big a deal, most people have opportunities for satisfaction outside of work, and show only modest change with retirement

Evidence in somewhere in the middle, but more positive than negative overall – for men, investment in family roles is a positive predictor of adjustment, for women, not so

Clearest predictor of negative outcomes is with lack of control over retirement, due to job loss, poor health, etc.

Retirement Satisfaction – Some Key Factors from Harvard Growth Study (Vaillant, 2002) Maintaining and replacing social networks

Rediscovering playful activities – grandchildren!

Creativity – much evidence that old can be creative (Monet at 80, Franklin invented bifocals at 78, Darwin at 70) – everyday activities –gardening, building, etc.

Lifelong learning – taking a fresh look at things, computers, technology

Life Transitions and Patterns of Adjustment – What Are Some Keys?

Generally, normative changes that most go through – e.g., transition to work, university, to parenthood

Age patterns in timing for normative changes are expected, so some people are “off-time,” this can affect how the experience feels, e.g., early or late retirement

Change is stressful, so some issues to be expected – equilibrium is disrupted, then restabilizes

Balances of social support and personal control needed to negotiate most successfully

Preparation for the transition, anticipating issues and planning, is also important - e.g., retirement seminars

IV. Do Older Adults Disengage?: Voluntary Association Memberships in Later Adulthood (2000)

Historical Patterns of Decline in Voluntary Association – Bowling Alone, Putnam (2000)

Rates of civic involvement in North America have declined over the past 50 years

Some of this is generational – WWII generation has remained higher than others - Baby Boomers, etc., and higher than previous generations

Trends for the future? 05

101520253035404550

0 30 50 70

Commun

Clubs

Trust

Average % Annual Volunteering Rate by Age – Canada (2004)

05

1015

20

2530

35

4045

50

15-34 35-54 55-64 65+

Rate

Average Annual Hours Per Volunteer by Age Group – Canada (2004)

0

50

100

150

200

250

15-34 35-54 55-64 65+

# of Hours

Retirement Activities, Health and Life Satisfaction Volunteering, especially helping others,

associated with positive health effects – lower mortality rates for older adults linked to helping rates in some studies (Oman et al., 1999)

Life satisfaction is linked to greater feelings of social support, but an important component of this is the chance to give support to others

Mrs. Perkett at 88