Working past retirement age

A survey by Sun Life Financial shows that half of the U.S. workers plan to stay on the job past the traditional retirement age of 67, not just because of financial needs, but because they like working.

Most of the 1,515 survey respondents said the want to stay working to keep mentally active. Many also said they want to earn more money to live well.

What are your retirement hopes and expectations?

Comments

[Lydia Bezou-Hojnacki]

Already retired and hate it!

Ready to return to work for another 10-15 years, health permitting. A person in excellent health need never retire. I don't see the point in it, because there's still time for volunteerism and community service when the children are grown. An older person is "free" to do what he/she pleases, because there are no longer any young children to tie oneself to the house in the evenings.

Meaningful work is refreshing and keeps one in touch with people, issues, and self.

An aside: No one is ready to retire until all debts are paid, including mortgage. Retirement is for those who have complete and safe financial security and no debts except the usual bane of life: utility and phone monthly payments, period!

Then, again, why retire anyway if a person is a social being who enjoys interaction and meaningful tasks to while away the long days?

[Chancellor Carlyle Roberts, II]

When retirement age was established way back in the 1930s, people didn't live much beyond it (if they even lived to retirement age). It's time to reset the retirement age to the modern equivalent, taking into account the increased life spans today. Even then, retirement should never be mandatory: if people want to work until they die, let them.

[Danielle H. Maichle]

I wish the media would cover the other side of this story. What about the baby boomers who have put in years at businesses and organizations, who have given their talent and yet have no chance of moving up because those at the top will never retire? There are many people with progessive ideas who will never be lucky enough to live past retirement to 80 or 90 years of age.

[Lydia Bezou-Hojnacki]

Danielle, having progressive ideas should not be a factor in whether one moves up in an organization. Ideas should be contributed for the good of the organization, not necessarily for individual gain.

[Danielle H. Maichle]

My comment refers to the middle level managers who have risen through the ranks, with the hope that someday they can institute some of their own ideas-not for personal gain, but for the good of the organization. Those people may never live long enough to "be in charge."

[Piper]

Danielle, I wonder what business you are in. Where I work, managers are changed more often than light bulbs! They come and go so fast, you can barely get to know them. In 30 years, I've worked under 40+ middle managers. Most of them moved on to bigger and better positions at other companies. The people who are almost at the top never move on because they were hand picked by the top brass to take over, someday when the top guys die (or possibly retire due to health reasons!) I suspect it is the same way at many other businesses. It's not the average older worker holding back the young ones; it's the powerful people at the very top who pick and choose, and when they've squeezed all the good ideas out of a middle manager, they let them go. It's not like the old days when you could work your way up to the top position or even buy out the owner when he decides to retire.

But I disagree with Lydia. Sure ideas should be contributed for the good of the organization, but if one has done this, why should this not be factored into promotion? What other criteria should one use? I've seen people promoted because of personal preference, and believe me, this does NOT contribute to the good of the company!

[Lydia Bezou-Hojnacki]

Piper, let me clarify my statement about sharing ideas. The mere act of sharing ideas for the good of the organization should be uppermost in every employee's mind and within their power to suggest their ideas, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER the innovations lead to a promotion.

In other words, I dislike what we commonly call "brown-nosing."

Of course the enthusiasm and progressive ideas of employees should be factored in to the evaluation for promotions! I did not suggest otherwise; I suggested that ideas be freely shared for the good of the organization and not to "draw attention to oneself."

[Hank]

If working past retirement age means having to work to pay bills, this is a mark of a regressive nation. If spiritual attunement and artistic attainment are cultural aims, the older population should be imparting life experience wisdom to the younger generations, in preparation for each phase of life. Work, as a need to provide, is not an end in itself. In fact, an enlightened civilization will see needing to "work" for necessities as being reduced to no more than two days a week. The creative and productive phases of a career, whether in science, art, or philosophy in learning, education, and demonstrating achievements should predominate an adult's time, along their particular talent line. "To owe my soul to the company store" (Tennessee Ernie Ford's "Sixteen Tons") is a condition to end, with the right social and economic reforms.

[tina]

Danielle

Excuses are a dime a dozen. Suggest you change your attitude. Two kinds of people in the workplace, the few going somewhere, and the majority going nowhere.

If you allow yourself to be defeated because you "think" obstacles like people above you not retiring make it impossible, then I guarantee you will fail.

I am happily retired at a relatively young age (58). I rose to senior management in a very large corporation.

I had a sub par education, average intelligence, not especially attractive, and certainly not born with any advantages. My father never made more than $10,000 in a year.

By the time I retired I had MBA ivy leaguers working for me, I had saved millions, and had by almost anyones definition a successful career. What made this possible? Fire in the belly, an unwillingness to be deterred by "obstacles" and a work ethic that simply out performed the competition.

Ignore what you think are obstacles and outwork and outthink your competition and good things will happen to you.