Over-60s report a significantly higher quality of working life than their middle-aged colleagues. But this pre-retirement bounce is more pronounced in men than women.
New research by psychologists at QoWL in conjunction with the University of Portsmouth, shows that UK employees in the 60 or over age group report a significantly higher quality of working life than their middle-aged colleagues. And this pre-retirement bounce is more pronounced in men.
The research shows that quality of working life tends to be higher in the under 25 and in the 60 or over age groups, with the 25 to 59 year olds reporting the lowest quality of working life as measured by the Work-Related Quality of Life (WRQoL) scale. This 'pre-retirement bounce' in quality of working life reflects a strongly positive change in the way the majority of the survey respondents felt about their work as they neared retirement.
But the trends for men and women showed interesting and highly significant differences, especially in the context of the planned changes in retirement age.
Previous research has shown that women are generally happier than men at work. However, this study shows that as we get older the difference in happiness narrows. And the trends completely reverse at around age 60. At this age, men, with several years of working life still to go, seem to experience a notable increase in quality of working life. However, women, typically nearer to retirement at this age, report much less of an increase. Men, for the first time, have become much happier at work than women.
Full Press Release