Flexible work schedules, older workers, and retirement.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Sociology
• Economics
• Business Management

Background:

• Older workers in the U.S. prefer flexible work arrangements over immediate retirement.
• Current job structures and traditional work scheduling conflict with the needs of aging workers.
• Limited progress has been made by management in facilitating flexible work options for older employees.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review existing literature on older workers' retirement preferences and workplace obstacles.
• To identify the gap between social science perspectives and business practices regarding phased retirement.
• To highlight the need for management commitment to policy changes for flexible retirement.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature review was conducted, synthesizing findings from social science (sociology, gerontology, economics) and business/management fields.
• Analysis focused on identifying barriers to flexible work arrangements and phased retirement.
• Examination of the clash between traditional job scheduling and older worker needs.

Main Results:

• Significant obstacles hinder phased retirement, including healthcare and pension benefit structures, organizational downsizing, inflexibility, and corporate culture.
• A disconnect exists between the academic recognition of flexible retirement's desirability and its practical implementation.
• Management practices and policies have not adequately adapted to support older workers' preferences.

Conclusions:

• Social science advocacy for flexible retirement schedules alone is insufficient for change.
• Management commitment is essential to embed flexible retirement policies into company practices.
• Organizational inflexibility and corporate culture remain significant barriers that require active intervention.