Should you just retire gracefully or work until you drop?

The debate is on as to whether older people should be forced to retire at the set age of 60 for women or 65 for men. For a long time this has been the case but there are numbers of older people over 60 who would love to remain working at their jobs which give them identity and meaning in their lives. They quite rightly feel that their age and experience of life confers on them the ability to make a valuable contribution to society and they have a lot to offer to others.

Abolishing the default retirement age will help to reduce ageism in UK society and give older people much greater freedom, says Age Concern Isle of Man CEO Penny Creighton.

Mrs Creighton said: "I welcome this libertarian decision. People are living healthier, longer lives and many would love to carrying on working, not in every case for financial benefit, but because they still have much to contribute and for some, working is very much part of who they are. It's about retaining their identity and their dignity."

The ceo added that if over 60s continued to work past retirement age, it should not adversely affect the prospects of younger people. Very often, she said, older people took up consultancy roles or worked part time hours. Abolishing the retirement age would not prevent younger people from taking up vital careers which would benefit the economy, and was, she said, a step in the right direction to changing ageist attitudes in our society. It would raise the status of older people in society and continue to give them a voice in their community.

Mrs Creighton said: "With skills in short supply worldwide it makes sound economic sense to attract experienced workers regardless of their age. Allowing people to work longer ensures they have a higher income for longer. A higher income means more disposable income, which creates increased demand and, as a result, more jobs – all of which benefits the economy."

Not everyone agrees with this view, however. A number of older IOM residents feel that working, whether paid or unpaid, should not be the only way to achieve meaning in one's life. Many feel that they have paid into the retirement pot for thirty years or so and they might as well enjoy and make the most of their retirement. With the shortage of good jobs on the island and the widescale employment of migrant workers in supermarkets and in manual occupations, some feel it preferable to make way gracefully for younger people starting out on their careers.

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