Title
Mental retirement? Trajectories of work engagement preceding retirement among older workers
Author
de Wind, A.
Leijten, F.R.M.
Hoekstra, T.
Geuskens, G.A.
Burdorf, L.
van der Beek, A.J.
Publication year
2017
Abstract
Objectives Before actual retirement, employees may already distance themselves from work, which could be referred to as "mental retirement". However, trajectories of work motivation, ie, work engagement, have not been studied yet. The present study aimed to (i) identify different trajectories of work engagement among older workers approaching the retirement age, and (ii) examine their associations with actual retirement. Methods In total 3171 employees aged 55-62 years, who participated in the Dutch Study on Transitions in Employment, Ability and Motivation were included in this study. Participants completed questionnaires in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013. Latent class growth mixture modeling was performed to identify groups of employees with similar three-year trajectories in work engagement. Logistic regression analyses were performed to study whether trajectory membership was associated with retirement. Results Of the 3171 employees, 16.2% made a transition from work to (early) retirement (N=513). Four trajectories of work engagement were identified: steady high (76.3%), steady low (12.7%), decreasing (6.2%), and increasing (4.8%). A steady low work engagement trajectory was associated with retirement [odds ratio (OR) 1.46], compared to a steady high work engagement trajectory. Although not statistically significant, an increasing work engagement trajectory seemed to be associated with retirement as well (OR 1.60). Conclusions This study did not support the concept of mental retirement before actual retirement, ie, a decrease in work engagement among those facing retirement. However, as one in eight employees did experience steady low work engagement in the years before retirement, interventions promoting work motivation are recommended to support the employability of these employees. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Subject
ELSS - Earth, Life and Social Sciences
Life
Healthy Living
Work and Employment
Employability
Employee
Employment
LCGMM
Longitudinal study
Mental retirement
Older worker
Trajectory;
Work engagement
Work motivation
Workers
Ageing
Engagement
Job
Retirement
WHC - Work, Health and Care
To reference this document use:
http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:ffb4017a-7e2c-4806-9bdb-f24798b94cc1
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.3604
TNO identifier
574396
Source
Scandinavian Journal of Work and Environmental Health, 43 (43), 34-41
Document type
article