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Drazic I, Schermuly CC, Büsch V. Empowered to Stay Active: Psychological Empowerment, Retirement Timing, and Later Life Work. JOURNAL OF ADULT DEVELOPMENT 2023:1-18. [PMID: 37361380 PMCID: PMC10209555 DOI: 10.1007/s10804-023-09453-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Motivating older employees both to prolong their working lives and to stay active even after retirement has become increasingly important due to rising old-age dependency ratios. Later life work-including both paid work and volunteering-has thus become an important topic for scholars and practitioners. We aim to extend research on later life work by hypothesizing that psychological empowerment at work increases not only desired and actual retirement ages but also levels of later life work. Second, we test differential effects of psychological empowerment on later life work, expecting it to be more strongly related to paid work after retirement (i.e., bridge employment) than to volunteering. Third, we suggest that the relationship between psychological empowerment and bridge employment depends on the employees' level of physical limitations. We used data from a longitudinal panel study in Germany in which structured telephone interviews were conducted. A sample of older individuals who had retired between two waves of measurement was drawn (time lag: three years; n = 210). The results of a path analysis support the postulated mediation. Furthermore, as expected, psychological empowerment more accurately predicted bridge employment than volunteering, and physical limitations moderated the relationship between psychological empowerment and bridge employment. Lastly, additional analyses on the individual empowerment facets revealed that only the competence facet played a significant role in the proposed hypotheses. Overall, our findings suggest that psychological empowerment may help to increase older employees' motivation to delay retirement and to stay active even after retirement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Drazic
- Department of Business Psychology, SRH Berlin University of Applied Sciences, Ernst-Reuter-Platz 10, 10587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Carsten C. Schermuly
- Department of Business Psychology, SRH Berlin University of Applied Sciences, Ernst-Reuter-Platz 10, 10587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Victoria Büsch
- Department of Business Psychology, SRH Berlin University of Applied Sciences, Ernst-Reuter-Platz 10, 10587 Berlin, Germany
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Wollen und können ältere Beschäftigte länger erwerbstätig bleiben, wenn sich ihre Arbeit verbessert? ZENTRALBLATT FÜR ARBEITSMEDIZIN, ARBEITSSCHUTZ UND ERGONOMIE 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s40664-022-00490-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Zusammenfassung
Hintergrund
Im Kontext politischer Bemühungen, ältere Beschäftigte in Deutschland länger im Erwerbsleben zu halten, wird untersucht, wie lange diese noch erwerbstätig sein wollen und können und wie sich tatsächliche Veränderungen von Arbeitsbedingungen auf ihre Erwerbsperspektive auswirken.
Methodik
Datengrundlage der Analysen sind die zweite (2014) und dritte (2018) Welle der lidA-Studie, welche repräsentativ für sozialversicherungspflichtige Beschäftigte der Geburtsjahrgänge 1959 und 1965 in Deutschland ist. In deskriptiven Quer- und Längsschnittanalysen werden die Veränderungen von den vier Arbeitsfaktoren schwere körperliche Arbeit, das Arbeiten im Schichtdienst, die Anerkennung von Leistungen und Entwicklungsmöglichkeiten im Zusammenhang mit der Veränderung der Erwerbsperspektive („Bis zu welchem Alter wollen bzw. können Sie erwerbstätig bleiben?“) untersucht.
Ergebnisse
Ältere Beschäftigte in Deutschland wollen deutlich früher aus dem Erwerbsleben aussteigen als sie – den eigenen Einschätzungen nach – noch erwerbstätig sein könnten – Männer dabei länger als Frauen, und ältere Beschäftigte länger als jüngere. Im Längsschnitt zeigt sich, dass sich sowohl das Wollen als auch das Können bei vielen älteren Beschäftigten mit der Annäherung an die Regelaltersgrenze verlängern. Zudem gehen Verbesserungen von Arbeitsbedingungen meist mit einer Verlängerung der Erwerbsperspektive einher.
Diskussion
Die Ergebnisse offenbaren unterschiedliche Muster, jeweils unterschiedlich in Bezug auf die untersuchten Arbeitsfaktoren, das Wollen und Können sowie das Geschlecht. Die Geschlechtsunterschiede können zum Teil durch die geschlechtstypisch unterschiedlichen Berufe der betroffenen Gruppen erklärt werden. Wenn Entlastungen im höheren Erwerbsalter mit einer Verlängerung der Erwerbsperspektive assoziiert sind, könnte dies auf freigelegte Ressourcen bei den Beschäftigten hinweisen. Dort, wo Entlastungen nicht mit einer Verlängerung der Erwerbsperspektive einhergehen, deutet dies darauf, dass sie eine dringend überfällige Entlastungsmaßnahme darstellen.
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Bjuhr M, Engström M, Welmer AK, Elmståhl S, Sjölund BM. Health and work-related factors as predictors of still being active in working life at age 66 and 72 in a Swedish population: A longitudinal study. Work 2023; 76:1481-1492. [PMID: 37393472 PMCID: PMC10741316 DOI: 10.3233/wor-220480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Health and work environment are known factors in being active in working life beyond legal retirement. OBJECTIVE To investigate sociodemographic, health and work environment factors as possible predictors of being active in working life at ages 66 and 72. Secondly, investigate eventual changes over time, shortly after a major reform in the Swedish pension system, and predictors of still being active in working life at age 66. METHODS We used a longitudinal design with two separate cohorts of people at age 60. One baseline assessment was made in 2001-2003 with two 6 years follow-ups, and one in 2007-2009 with one 6 years follow-up. Data were accessed through a Swedish national population-based study and analysed using logistic regression. To examine possible differences between the two cohorts, interaction terms with each independent variable were analysed. RESULTS Being a man and working in a profession that requires at least three years of university education predicted that the person would still be active in working life at age 66 and 72. Additionally, having a light level of physical activity at work and being diagnosed with fewer than two diseases, also predicted still being active in working life at age 66. Only physical activity at work showed significant changes over time. CONCLUSION Shortly after a major reform of the public pension system, there was an increase in participation in working life after age 66 and 72. However, gender, profession, and health factors are still important considerations regarding older people's participation in working life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Bjuhr
- Department of Caring Sciences, Faculty of Health and Occupational Studies, University of Gävle, Gävle, Sweden
| | - Maria Engström
- Department of Caring Sciences, Faculty of Health and Occupational Studies, University of Gävle, Gävle, Sweden
| | - Anna-Karin Welmer
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS), Aging Research Centre (ARC), Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sölve Elmståhl
- Department of Clinical Sciences in Malmö, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Britt-Marie Sjölund
- Department of Caring Sciences, Faculty of Health and Occupational Studies, University of Gävle, Gävle, Sweden
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS), Aging Research Centre (ARC), Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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Toczek L, Bosma H, Peter R. Early retirement intentions: the impact of employment biographies, work stress and health among a baby-boomer generation. Eur J Ageing 2022; 19:1479-1491. [PMID: 36692777 PMCID: PMC9729676 DOI: 10.1007/s10433-022-00731-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, early retirement decisions have become more frequent in the European Union despite political efforts to prevent early retirement. This is a growing problem for the social security system. The study focuses on a life course approach using employment biographies and investigates the influence of work stress and health on early retirement intentions. Data of employees who were born in either 1959 or 1965 of the German cohort study on work, age, health and work participation are analysed (n = 3338). By linking survey and register data from 1993 to 2011, a sequence analysis is conducted to identify employment biographies. To analyse the relationship between the employment biographies and intended early retirement, a longitudinal path analysis is computed and includes work stress, measured through effort-reward imbalance, and self-rated health. The statistical analyses identify three adverse employment biographies, i.e. part-time work, episodes of unemployment or marginal employment. In addition, two favourable employment biographies are determined, characterised by full-time work and few episodes of unemployment. The results of the path analysis show that employment biographies with high work-related stress have early retirement intentions. Among adverse employment biographies, indirect effects of poor health on the association between work stress and early retirement intentions are found. Unexpectedly, among full-time workers, work stress is also associated with early retirement intentions with an additional mediation through health. The findings of this study highlight the importance of the life course perspective when analysing retirement decisions. In addition to health-promoting interventions in the labour market, effects of psychosocial factors should be focussed on in order to reduce early exits from the labour market. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10433-022-00731-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Toczek
- Department of Medical Sociology, Institute of the History, Philosophy and Ethics of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ulm University, Parkstrasse 11, 89073 Ulm, Germany
| | - Hans Bosma
- Department of Social Medicine, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 5800, 6202 AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Richard Peter
- Department of Medical Sociology, Institute of the History, Philosophy and Ethics of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ulm University, Parkstrasse 11, 89073 Ulm, Germany
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Sousa-Ribeiro M, Lindfors P, Knudsen K. Sustainable Working Life in Intensive Care: A Qualitative Study of Older Nurses. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19106130. [PMID: 35627667 PMCID: PMC9140772 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19106130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
To counteract the shortage of nurses in the workforce, healthcare organizations must encourage experienced nurses to extend their working lives. Intensive care (IC) has higher nurse-to-patient ratios than other settings, which includes a particular susceptibility to staff shortage. This qualitative study investigated how older IC nurses experienced their working life and their reflections on the late-career and retirement. Semi-structured interviews with 12 IC nurses in Sweden (aged 55-65 years) were analyzed using an interpretative phenomenological analysis approach. The results showed that nurses planned to continue working until the age of 65 and beyond. When reflecting on their late-career decisions, nurses considered nine areas covering individual, work, and organizational factors as being central to their ability and willingness to stay. Overall, the nurses had good health and were very satisfied and committed to their job and to the organization. They mentioned having both the job and personal resources required to cope with the physical and mental job demands, which were perceived as motivational challenges, rather than hinders. They also reflected on various human resource management practices that may promote aging-in-workplace. These findings may inform organizations aiming at providing adequate conditions for enabling healthy and sustainable working lives for IC nurses.
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Indicators of Sustainable Employability among Older Finnish Postal Service Employees: A Longitudinal Study of Age and Time Effects. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14095729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
We first clarify the definition of sustainable employability, and then we study how the indicators of sustainable employability among older Finnish postal service employees have changed over time. Finally, we estimate the effect of age on these indicators in a two-year follow up. A questionnaire survey among the Finnish postal service employees was conducted in 2016, and a follow-up was conducted in 2018. We analyze data from 1262 subjects who replied to both the baseline and the follow-up surveys. Sustainable employability is defined as a multidimensional construct using nine indicators and covering three domains (health, well-being and employability) based on Fleuren and colleagues’ model. Measurement time (repeated measure) is used as a within-subjects factor, and age is used as a between-subjects factor. The estimated marginal means of the indicators of sustainable employability at the baseline and the follow-up by age in years are calculated. No significant change is found in eight indicators (work ability, time and resources, recovery after work, job satisfaction, motivation, perceived employment, enough training on the job and relevance of work) of sustainable employability after the two-year follow-up. We find a statistically significant effect of time on self-rated health (F = 6.56, p = 0.011). Six out of nine indicators (self-rated health, work ability, time and resources, recovery after work, job satisfaction, and perceived employment) have a statistically significant effect of age between subjects. Partial Eta Squared (ŋ2p) shows a very small difference in the indicators of sustainable employability during the follow-up, indicating that the employability of the workers was sustained throughout. We used the Fleuren model as the basis for our definition of sustainable employability. Although they are based on single items, these indicators of sustainable employability remain stable after the two-year follow-up. Significant effects of age between subjects are found for six out of nine indicators. The results suggest that age may be an important determinant of sustainable employability.
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Quality of work community and workers' intention to retire. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2022; 95:1157-1166. [PMID: 34994849 PMCID: PMC8739534 DOI: 10.1007/s00420-021-01826-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Purpose To study the workers’ perception of the quality of work community and its association with intention to retire early, separately among women and men working in Finnish postal service. Methods A questionnaire survey was sent to all Finnish postal services employees aged ≥ 50 years in 2016 and 44% (n = 2096) replied to the survey (mean age 56.3, 40% women). Employee’s intention to retire before statutory retirement was measured on a scale of 1–5 and dichotomized. The quality of work community was defined by four composite variables: equality at work, flexibility at work, supportive work environment and health or other reason and trichotomized by their tercile values. Odds ratio (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for associations of quality of work community with intention to retire were calculated separately for men and women using log binomial regression models adjusted for potential confounders. Results About one-third of respondents intended to retire early with no significant gender difference in retirement intention. Low equality at work (women OR 2.77, 95% CI 1.60–4.81; men 2.84, 1.80–4.48) and low flexibility at work (women 3.30, 1.94–5.60; men 2.91, 1.88–4.50) was associated with higher likelihood of intention to retire. Among women intention to retire was found less likely due to low supportive work environment (0.52, 0.31–0.89) and among men due to intermediate health or other reason (0.65, 043–0.98). Conclusion The results highlight the importance of the quality of work community as well as the promotion of work-related health in order to encourage employees to remain at workforce for longer.
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Stengård J, Leineweber C, Virtanen M, Westerlund H, Wang HX. Do good psychosocial working conditions prolong working lives? Findings from a prospective study in Sweden. Eur J Ageing 2021; 19:677-688. [PMID: 36052189 PMCID: PMC9424473 DOI: 10.1007/s10433-021-00672-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to an ageing population, governments in European countries are striving to keep older workers longer in the workforce. Remarkably few studies have paid attention to the influence of psychosocial working conditions on timing of retirement for older workers in and beyond normative retirement age. The aim of the present study was to examine whether good psychosocial working conditions contribute to prolonged working lives among older workers (59 years and above). A particular question was whether such conditions increase in importance with age. Seven waves (2006–2018) of the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH) were used (N = 6000, observations = 10,632). Discrete-time event history analyses showed that higher levels of job resources (decision authority [OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.06–1.22], skill use [OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.07–1.29], learning opportunities [OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.13–1.31], social support [OR 1.29 (95% CI 1.16–1.42], work-time control [OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.01–1.13], and reward [OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.24–1.57])—but not lower levels of job demands (quantitative and emotional demands or effort)—were associated with working longer (continued work two years later). Also, low effort-reward imbalance (OR 0.84 [95% CI 0.73–0.96]) was associated with working longer. In addition, skill use, work-time control, reward, and low effort-reward imbalance increased in importance with age for continued work. These results suggest that providing older workers with control over their work tasks, giving opportunities for learning and using their skills, as well as rewarding and acknowledging their achievements, may keep them in the workforce longer. Especially, job resources may grow in importance with age.
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Hovbrandt P, Östergren PO, Canivet C, Albin M, Carlsson G, Nilsson K, Håkansson C. Psychosocial Working Conditions and Social Participation. A 10-Year Follow-Up of Senior Workers. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:9154. [PMID: 34501744 PMCID: PMC8430885 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18179154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Social participation is important for health, and it is well known that high strain jobs impact negatively on mental and physical health. However, knowledge about the impact of psychosocial working conditions on social participation from a long-term perspective is lacking. The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations between different job types and social participation from a long-term perspective. A comprehensive public health questionnaire "The Scania Public Health Survey", was used, and psychosocial working conditions were measured with a Swedish translation of the Job Content Questionnaire. Based on data from 1098 working respondents aged 55 at baseline and a 10-year follow-up when the respondents were not working, the analyses revealed that social participation varied by job type. Jobs with high decision latitude, as in active and relaxed jobs, seem to predict high social participation, even after cessation of employment. Besides that, the result suggests that high social participation during working life is a predictor of high social participation from a long-term perspective which promotes healthy aging. Incentives for working longer are strongly related to good working conditions. A supportive work environment with possibilities for employees to participate in decision making, i.e., high control, is vital for a sustainable working life. This may contribute to an extended working life and may also support social participation prior to retirement as well as after retirement and thus to healthy aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia Hovbrandt
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 22363 Lund, Sweden; (M.A.); (K.N.); (C.H.)
- Occupational Therapy and Occupational Science Research Group, Department of Health Sciences, Lund University, 22100 Lund, Sweden
| | - Per-Olof Östergren
- Division of Social Medicine and Global Health, Department of Clinical Sciences in Malmö, Lund University, 22213 Malmö, Sweden; (P.-O.Ö.); (C.C.)
| | - Catarina Canivet
- Division of Social Medicine and Global Health, Department of Clinical Sciences in Malmö, Lund University, 22213 Malmö, Sweden; (P.-O.Ö.); (C.C.)
| | - Maria Albin
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 22363 Lund, Sweden; (M.A.); (K.N.); (C.H.)
- Unit of Occupational Medicine, Institute for Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institute, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gunilla Carlsson
- Active and Healthy Ageing Research Group, Department of Health Sciences, Lund University, 22100 Lund, Sweden;
| | - Kerstin Nilsson
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 22363 Lund, Sweden; (M.A.); (K.N.); (C.H.)
| | - Carita Håkansson
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 22363 Lund, Sweden; (M.A.); (K.N.); (C.H.)
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