Whats Important to Working Retirees

Benefits and Employer Characteristics Important to Working Retirees
    When asked to rate the extent to which a variety of job attributes are important to them in their work, approximately half of working retirees indicate that the following attributes are “very important:”

• working in an environment where employee opinions are valued

• being able to take time off to care for relatives

• working for a company that lets its older employees remain employed for as long as they wish to work

    Other attributes considered “very important” or “somewhat important” by at least two in three respondents include having new experiences, being able to learn new skills, and being able to set your own hours.

    The degree of importance attached to the above attributes varies among the following groups of working retirees:

• Women are more likely than men to desire the ability to set their own hours.

• Working retirees aged 55 to 59 are more likely than their older counterparts to attach importance to good employer-provided health benefits.

• Compared to those with a post-graduate degree, those with less education are more likely to value health benefits for retirees, the ability to take time off to care for relatives and the ability to set their own hours.

• Compared to married individuals, those who are divorced, separated or widowed are more likely to desire employer-provided health benefits.

• Self-employed individuals are more likely than working retirees who are working for someone else to value the ability to set their own hours, work from home and work for themselves. In contrast, those who are not self-employed are more likely to value good health benefits and pension plans, as well as employers who value employee opinions and who let older employees remain employed for as long as they wish to work.

From Staying Ahead of the Curve 2003: The AARP Working in Retirement Study.