Keeping working

Changes to legislation and attitudes mean you now have more opportunities to choose if, when and how to retire. We give you strategies you can use to continue your working life in the way you want.

As the population ages the size of the working age population is reducing. This may mean that older workers will become more valued and opportunities for employment may increase.

Mature workers are staying in employment thanks to financial pressures or because they find it personally rewarding.

However, many people do not expect to continue fulltime work as they grow older and would like to introduce flexibility and balance into their working lives. An increasing range of options are available, such as part-time work, contract work, home-based or self-employed work.

Workers with flexible skills will have a better chance of getting satisfying and suitable work. Planning ahead may include doing courses at work, retraining or trying a variety of roles, or doing voluntary work to gain experience and to increase marketability when looking for work.

Resources for older workers

• The Mature Employment Service is available in some regions and assists older people looking for work or going through work transitions or looking for work.
• Work and Age Trust (www.nework.co.nz) promotes issues of work and age and supports older workers exploring new ways of working.
• Work and Income provides assistance for older workers looking for employment.
• Both the Employers Federation and the Council of Trade Unions offer guidelines on employment issues for older workers.
• Age Concern New Zealand’s fact sheet “Caring for an Older Person” looks at balancing the roles of work and family. Or VIEW our page [1.1.4 Support for family carers] for information on balancing work and family care.

Key facts

• It is illegal to disqualify a person from the workforce on the grounds of age, or to discriminate on the grounds of age.
• Over-65s staying in the workforce have more than doubled since 1991. One in five men aged 70 to 74 work full-time, according to the 2006 Census. Two-fifths of men and one in five women aged 65 to 69 are also still working.

Comment

Age Concern says that the right to keep working after age 65 must not be confused with any obligation to keep working in later life. We resist any attempts to raise the rate of eligibility for national superannuation or other benefits above age 65.