Working time preferences and early and late retirement intentions

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Occupational Psychology
• Sociology of Work

Background:

• Career decisions are influenced by the alignment between individuals and their work environment.
• Understanding person-environment fit is crucial for predicting retirement behaviors.
• Employee preferences for working hours significantly shape career trajectories.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of person-environment fit concerning weekly working hours on retirement intentions.
• To analyze how actual and preferred working hours influence early versus late retirement decisions.
• To examine these relationships in a large sample of older German employees.

Main Methods:

• Multinomial logistic regression analysis was employed.
• The study analyzed data from 7,859 employees aged 50 to 65 in Germany.
• Person-environment fit regarding actual and preferred weekly working hours was assessed.

Main Results:

• A preference for decreased working hours significantly increased the odds of early retirement intentions (OR = 1.82) compared to regular retirement.
• A preference for increased working hours was associated with higher odds for intending a late career (OR = 1.87).
• These findings highlight the predictive power of preferred work hours on retirement timing.

Conclusions:

• Employee preferences for working hours are strong predictors of retirement timing.
• Mismatch between preferred and actual working hours influences early retirement decisions.
• Aligning work hour preferences with reality may impact retirement planning and outcomes.