Is it right to carry on working?

Question

after you have reached retirement age or should you give up
to allow younger people a chance?
I know how I feel, I want to work as long as I can. I need the stimulus and I don't want to stagnate. Is this wrong?

Saviswin, Unfortunately I DO need the money. That's another reason for carrying on.

Answer 1

I think "retirement age" is nothing more than the earliest date that a person is eligible to retire without going on disability; and not a "hard stop" or "stop work order". ;) The reports I've read say that there may be a shortage of workers, because the Boomer generation is so large, there won't be as many younger people competing for jobs....so maybe older workers will be needed more than we might think.

My dad first retired at 65; mainly because he had his second Coronary Artery Bypass surgery, and didn't think he'd be able to keep up with the demands of his job after his surgery. 10 weeks after his surgery, his company hired him back as a private contractor, and he worked full time until he was 70....and loved it.

I like the suggestions from some of the other answers here; to work part-time or to do volunteer work. If I can afford to do it, that is my plan. Right now, I don't need to work (I hate to say it but I'm a kept woman at the moment, my husband's work supports us both). I volunteer, and work close to full time hours. I travel for this work and can be gone 3 weeks or more each time....I think my volunteer job is just as stimulating as the paid jobs I've had.

One of my acquaintences retired from her hospital job as a nursing administrator. She now has her own business; she reviews and rewrites procedures and standards. She travels, sets her own hours, and is paid well.

I believe there are benefits to the flexibility of part-time work, self-employment, contracting, and volunteer work. However, I wouldn't worry about taking a job away from a younger person. Go for it...:)

Answer 2

Don't give up that job if you don't want to!

Here in the U.S. fortunes are turning for businesses because Seniors are retiring and younger workers either don't have the experience they need, or they don't want to work for a starting wage to get that experience. The Senior Workforce is the answer.

Remember, too, that in the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's, the government thought there were too many babies being born. They told young women to stop and gave them the means to do it and they did it. Now the question is, where is the current and future workforce coming from? The answer is that Seniors are now choosing not to retire. Or if they do retire, they find out that retirement isn't what they want and go back to work at lower wages as new employees. Some are becoming Consultants.. Even the corporate CEO's are doing this because the golf course gets dull after three or four months. I can't begin to tell you how many of America's Seniors I've helped to find new jobs and go back to work.

Do what you want to do. This is your life and you only have one, this time around!

Good Luck!

Answer 3

No reason to feel guilty about taking a job away from a younger person. You are likely not doing that anyway.
I need the stimulus too. The money doesn't hurt a bit either! I'm trying out retirement for two months. Fact is I've always found a way to do the things that are important to me working or not. In the last couple of months, I've had more time to go to pro basketball games with my 18 year old grandson, to work around my home and get things a little more organized and to see friends. I'm taking a couple of small trips that I could have worked around working if I really worked at it.
In January, I'm planning to return to work because I enjoy it. I've already traveled in my younger years and will do some of that again. I believe I can have it all if I work at it.
I think retirement works best for folks who retire TO something rather than retire FROM something.

Answer 4

I felt the same way when I was working, but after I retired I was bored with nothing to do so I started working part time at several different jobs until I ended up at McDonald's. The turn over of the younger people is greater than the older people like me. Believe me I don't know how anyone would want to make a career out of working there cause they don't pay a lot.

Answer 5

I retired early for va few reasons A rotten employer. Who made life hell when i reported her to the union my first complaint in 25 years of loyal service I had a mild heart atack . the dr said stress, they never even came to the hospital. Life is great. I am a new man, I get up looking forward to enjoying life, its such a big world out there. enjoy it at your own pace.With the internet you cant stagnate. I go for day trip every day, seldom home a whole day. We get a yearly bus pass. and ride free on the ferries I have met so many nice people. Also a proud member of Lions Club,

Answer 6

Well everyone has a right to work as long as they want to. My grandad had to quit at 70 (mandatory in those days).

For me, I personally like moving over for the next generation. There is a young man or woman out there that could use my slot to feed their kids. I am doing fine and not growing stagnate at all as a retiree.

Stay and enjoy yourself if you want and don't let anyone bully you into leaving until you are good and ready.

Answer 7

I have been working for two years past retirement age but part time now, as I do other things. If I left I would not be replaced by any one as my hospital is using "natural wastage" as a way of cutting staff and thereby saving money, ignoring the stress that this causes to the remaining staff. What a situation!

Answer 8

If you are fit and able then work for as long as you can or want to. It depends on what type of work you do as to whether you'd be giving a younger person a chance. You could possibily go part-time and have the best of both worlds then. You could still work and do other things too. If people feel they want to carry on working they should be able to no matter what age they are.

Answer 9

A BIG problem in Canada is retired teachers going on sub lists, so the younger and new teachers dont even get the chance to substitute, this is also "double dipping" because they are collecting big pensions from the education fund AND still working and being paid at a rate determined by their years of experience.

What other job could you "retire" from, get paid a nice pension, and keep on working and being paid your salary too? Some government controlled areas in Canada are SO corrupt -

Younger teachers are being forced to move overseas to find work, class sizes just get bigger and bigger and teachers havent had a decent raise in years and years because of this "retired gang" controlling the issues, they dont care if they get a raise, dont want to strike because they are raking it in from both sides of the trough --

It should be illegal IMO

Answer 10

You are right, work as long as you are able. There are lots of jobs out here for the younger ones if they really want to look and get an education to find a good one.