ch 12 work, leisure, retirement

Age Discrimination

• Making employment decisions or denying employment solely on the basis of age.

• Occurs in many ways (e.g., differential layoff patterns, retirement incentives, and stereotypical views about older workers)

The aging workforce: Myths and concerns

• Long-standing myths:

  • Afraid of change 

  • Technologically incompetent

  • Slow to learn

  • Lack creativity

  • Perform at lower level

  • Less motivated and flexible/adaptable 

• Concerns about:

  • Costs – higher pay, medical insurance

  • Performance – strength, endurance, reflexes

  • Investment in training

The aging workforce: facts

• Facts of O.A workers:

  • Low turnover rate 

  • Commitment to quality

  • Good attendance and punctuality

  • Few on-the-job accidents

  • High motivation and engagement

  • Strong work ethic and experience

  • Loyalty and reliability

  • Availability for various schedules

  • Diversity of thought and experiences

Older job seekers face ageism

• In the U.S., it takes twice as long for an older job seeker to find employment

  • “Over-qualified”; wage expectations too high

  • Deficient in technology skills w/ less training

  • Unfamiliar with pace and process of the current job market

• Pushed into retirement by inflexible working patterns and benefit patterns

US Age discrimination in employment act

• Forbids age discrimination against people who are 40+ in organizations with 20+ employees

• Forbids discrimination when it comes to any aspect of employment

  • Hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoff, training, fringe benefits, and any other term or condition of employment

• Has to be proven that the discrimination is not due to any other factor other than age

Job satisfaction

positive feeling that results from an appraisal of one’s work

• Increases gradually with age (but not across all job types) 

Working longer: Positive physical and psychological effects due to

• Maintaining identity and sense of purpose

• Sustaining productive engagement

• Physically demanding jobs and their contribution to physical health for those 65 and over

• Social interaction and connectivity

• Value of job related rewards

Alienation

• a situation in which workers feel what they are doing is meaningless and their efforts are devalued, or when they do not connect what they do and the final product.

Burnout

• the depletion of a person’s energy and motivation, the loss of occupational idealism, and the feeling of being exploited.

  • Most common in helping professions

  • Burnout among healthcare providers during COVID-19 pandemic

Pressures of working longer, older worker pov

• Lack of savings for retirement

  • 40% of younger Boomers with no savings

  • 32% loss in retirement savings with stock market collapse in 2008

• 1 in 5 elders in NYC live in poverty

• Having children later in life

Occupational transitions

• Retraining Workers

  • Rapid changes in the nature of work have resulted in the displacement of older workers.

• As a result, there is greater career plateauing. (promotions slow down)

  • When there is a lack of promotional opportunity in an organization

  • Thus, learning new skills is essential to maximize one’s opportunities

Retirement age

• Currently the average age of retirement is about 65 years of age for men and 62 for women

• Average person spends about 17-18 years in retirement 

  • May increase to 25 with increased life expectancy

• Retirement more common over past century

Transitioning into Retirement

For most Americans, retirement is a process and not a one-time event (Quinn & Cahill, 2016).

• 60% of workers transition straight to bridge job- which are often part -time, and occur between a career and full retirement.

Why do 15% of workers get another job after being fully retired?

• Lacking adequate finances after retirement

• Not enjoying retirement

• Some of these jobs may be in encore careers-work in a different field from the one in which retired.

bridge job

• which are often part -time, and occur between a career and full retirement.

encore careers

• work in a different field from the one in which retired.

Retirement can be crisp or blurred.

• Crisp: making a clean break from employment by stopping work entirely.

• Blurred:repeatedly leaving and returning to work, with some periods of unemployment

Why do people retire?

• Until recently people worked until they were no longer able (health), or until they had saved enough money to live without working (wealth)

Most people are satisfied with their retirement, as long as they have:

• Financial security

• Health

• A supportive network of relatives and friends

• If the decision to retire was their own

• The relation between health and retirement is complex.

• Most view as time of opportunity and personal growth, describe themselves as active and socially involved

  • Sense of personal control and social support linked to satisfaction

Unsuccessful adjustment to retirement

• 10-30% mention adjustment difficulties

  • Financial worries predict stress

Leisure Activities

• Declines in frequency of leisure activities can lead to depression

• Used often as a coping mechanism

  • Considered in terms of the degree of cognitive, emotional, or physical involvement.

  • People develop a repertoire of preferred leisure activities.

    • Each activity has a different meaning and importance to every individual.

    • The activities are determined by perceived competence and psychological comfort

    • No benefits if people engage in activities they don’t enjoy

Developmental Changes in Leisure

• Longitudinal research shows that leisure preferences in adulthood reflect those in earlier life.

  • However, as people grow older they tend to engage in leisure activities that are less strenuous and more family-oriented.

Consequences of Leisure Activities

• Leisure activities promote well-being and can enhance all aspects of people’s lives.

  • Importantly, it is the amount of satisfaction you derive from your leisure activities; not your level of participation.

  • Quality rather than quantity of leisure activities.

How are leisure activities beneficial?

• Involvement in leisure activities and volunteer service is related to better physical & mental health, reduced mortality

• Time volunteering does not decline until 80s

  • Many narrow their efforts to fewer, most personally meaningful roles