University of Toronto researchers study behaviour of Bell Canada workers who took early retirement
In pursuing work after retirement, managers are more likely than clerical or blue-collar workers to start their own business and find another job, according to a new study out of the University of Toronto.
About 40 per cent of people found some form of employment, either full-time or part-time, after retiring from Bell Canada. Of this group, the return-to-work rate was highest among managers (56 per cent) followed by blue-collar and clerical staff at slightly more than 20 per cent each.
“We found that people in managerial positions are more likely to continue working after retirement because they exhibit greater attachment to work,” said Anil Verma of the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management and Centre for Industrial Relations. “Work has a very special meaning in our lives, now more so than at any point in history. For those of us who work for wages, employment gives us identity, dignity and a feeling of worth.”
Verma and co-author Gangaram Singh of San Diego State University surveyed 1,805 Bell Canada managers, clerical workers, technicians and operators who took early retirement from the company. The researchers asked questions relating to health, financial status, attachment to work and employment after retirement.
Employers must overcome their stereotypes of older employees and shift the focus from their age to their skills, Verma said.
“If employers say these people are old and we don’t want to hire them, they will be excluding themselves from a large pool of talent they can tap into,” said Verma.
The study, Work History and Later-Life Labour Force Participation: Evidence from a Large Telecommunications Firm, was funded by Human Resources Development Canada.
About 40 per cent of people found some form of employment, either full-time or part-time, after retiring from Bell Canada. Of this group, the return-to-work rate was highest among managers (56 per cent) followed by blue-collar and clerical staff at slightly more than 20 per cent each.
“We found that people in managerial positions are more likely to continue working after retirement because they exhibit greater attachment to work,” said Anil Verma of the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management and Centre for Industrial Relations. “Work has a very special meaning in our lives, now more so than at any point in history. For those of us who work for wages, employment gives us identity, dignity and a feeling of worth.”
Verma and co-author Gangaram Singh of San Diego State University surveyed 1,805 Bell Canada managers, clerical workers, technicians and operators who took early retirement from the company. The researchers asked questions relating to health, financial status, attachment to work and employment after retirement.
Employers must overcome their stereotypes of older employees and shift the focus from their age to their skills, Verma said.
“If employers say these people are old and we don’t want to hire them, they will be excluding themselves from a large pool of talent they can tap into,” said Verma.
The study, Work History and Later-Life Labour Force Participation: Evidence from a Large Telecommunications Firm, was funded by Human Resources Development Canada.
