Older workers expect flexible roles pre-retirement

Three in five UK workers say they will carry on working if they haven’t saved enough by retirement age.

Older woman at work

 

Three in five UK workers are planning to carry on working if they haven’t saved enough by the time they hit their target retirement age and a quarter expect their employer to create a flexible role for them as they get older, according to new research.

The survey of over 4,000 adults for the international life insurance, pensions and asset management company Aegon shows more than one in three plan to continue working in their current role until they have enough saved; a quarter expect their employer to create a part-time or flexible role; while nearly one in ten expect to become self-employed.

Workers in healthcare, administrative and engineering and manufacturing sectors are most likely to expect their employer to create a flexible role for them, while those in the creative arts and design sector are more inclined to become self-employed and start up their own business.

Working past planned retirement age

Angela Seymour Jackson, Managing Director Workplace Pensions, Aegon UK, said: “Workers across the UK are waking up to the reality that they will likely have to work well past their planned retirement age to make up for shortfalls in their savings. With so many expecting to work on past traditional retirement age on more flexible contracts, employers will need to move quickly to accommodate this new later-life work culture. Creating a flexible and inclusive workplace strategy won’t only benefit those working longer to hit their savings targets but, according to recent research, will also prove good for business, adding £100 billion to UK productivity.”

While the majority of people expect retirement to be a gradual process rather than a hard cut-off, the research found most still aspire to retire earlier than the state pension age – at around 63. By 2018 the state pension age will be 65 for both men and women.

Finance professionals, with the highest average pay of £38,000, expect to retire the earliest at 62, while those working in education, with a lower annual salary of £26,000, expect to retire later at 64. However, IT professionals who have the same average salary as those working in finance still expect to retire two years after their counterparts at 63. Those working in admin have a relatively low average income of £23,000 yet expect to retire relatively early compared to other professionals at 63.

People may be ambitious in their target retirement ages, but just over a third of UK workers are confident about hitting their target. A quarter are concerned about retiring later than initially planned while nearly two in five were neither confident nor concerned.


workingwise.co.uk

Understanding the challenges and opportunities of an ageing population is vital if we want to create productive, innovative and inclusive multi-generational teams as we all lead longer working lives. workingwise.co.uk is a job and community site, from the people behind workingmums.co.uk, specially focused on older workers looking for flexibility and improved work-life balance, and the employers who recognise what they have to offer.

Find out more






Post a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Your Franchise Selection

Click the button below to register your interest with all the franchises in your selection

Request FREE Information Now

Your Franchise Selection

This franchise opportunity has been added to your franchise selection

image

title

Click the button below to register your interest with all the franchises in your selection

Request FREE Information Now


You may be interested in these similar franchises