Friday 02 May 2008
The volunteering and charity sectors are both set to benefit from a new trend that has turned traditional ideas of retirement upside down. Rather than trading in their working lives for one of rest and relaxation upon reaching 65, an increasing number of individuals are now opting for ‘returnment' - returning to work following retirement.
And, as indicated in a recent Ipsos MORI study, over 20% of workers over 45 are considering taking up voluntary work in what traditionally would be seen as their ‘twilight' years.
The study questioned over 1000 working adults across the UK aged over 45 about the ‘returnment phenomenon' and found more than a fifth of total respondents (23%) claimed that they would consider taking on voluntary work once retiring. 48% claimed that a desire to keep busy would be their main reason for retunrment, while 17% wanted to make a contribution to their own or other communities.
These statistics reflect the wider survey findings, which found that 31% of respondents felt it was important to be meaningfully employed in work beyond their retirement age and 35% said they would go back to work to continue using and applying the skills they had learned. Both these statistics rose to 40% and 48% respectively amongst the 45-50's, indicating an increasing feeling of self-worth amongst older groups, regardless of their age. In addition, keeping busy was given as the primary reason for returnment, rather than financial concerns.
Said Karen Wisdom, Research Director at Ipsos MORI : ‘We would encourage the charity and voluntary sectors to tap into the experience and skills retirees can offer them. Returnment is definitely a growing trend and it is great to see that so many on the cusp of retirement are looking at these sectors for their next or second careers.'
Commenting on the findings, Chris Ball, CEO of TAEN - The Age and Employment Network said: "A daily routine of slippers and the newspaper is boring fare for a fit, healthy individual in his or her fifties or early sixties. A newly retired person who has spent the last 30 years doing interesting, work, using well honed talents to deliver to demanding challenges, is entitled to say, 'I could do something more useful than this - and I could be earning money too!'
"People sometimes taste retirement - perhaps after a severence package or other circumstance bringing a premature end to a long career - and decide, 'This is not for me'. Returning to work is probably going to do them more good than inactivity - there is plenty of evidence to support the 'work is good for you,' thesis.
"Working in the voluntary sector is one of the options retired people are increasingly considering. Skills and experience of working in the private or public sector can blend with social values of organisations that people can believe in, and offer a stimulating third age career for those who want it."
Other key findings of the Ipsos MORI report included:
- 43% of workers said they would consider taking up some kind of paid work after retirement
- 22% of those planning to return to work would be seeking professional jobs
- A fifth of respondents would consider returnment if there were more jobs for people like them
- 25% would return to work for social / networking reasons