Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The association between psychosocial work environment, attitudes towards older workers (ageism) and planned retirement

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study was to examine the association between psychosocial factors (in particular ageism) at the workplace and older workers’ retirement plans, while taking health and workability of the employee into account.

Methods

In the fall and winter of 2008, self-report data on work environment, health, workability and retirement plans were collected in a representative national sample (n = 3,122) of Danish employees 50 years or older. Ordinal logistic regression was used to analyse associations in a cross-sectional design. Predictor variables were standardized.

Results

In analyses adjusted for socio-demography, socio-economy, health, workability and work performance, 4 out of 6 examined psychosocial factors (ageism, lack of recognition, lack of development possibilities, lack of predictability) were significantly associated with plans of early retirement (OR: 1.10–1.13). Stratified on gender, three psychosocial factors (ageism, lack of recognition, lack of development possibilities) remained significant for men (OR: 1.15–1.25) and none for women. In particular was the association between retirement plans and ageism highly significant in the male subgroup, but no association was found in the female subgroup.

Conclusion

Ageism, lack of recognition and lack of development possibilities are associated with older male workers’ retirement plans in our analyses. Workability has the strongest association with retirement plans for both genders.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alvesson M, Due Billing Y (1997) Gender and work understanding gender and organization. Sage Publications, California, pp 54–81

    Google Scholar 

  • Anonymous (2009) Forskerbeskyttelse (Researcher protection). http://www.dst.dk/TilSalg/Interview/Kunde/Forskerbeskyttelse.aspx. Statistic Denmark. Electronic Citation

  • Anonymous (2010) Pension og efterløn. https://www.borger.dk/Emner/pension-og-efterloen/Sider/default.aspx. Electronic Citation

  • Bech P, Rasmussen NA, Olsen LR, Noerholm V, Abildgaard W (2001) The sensitivity and specificity of the Major Depression Inventory, using the Present State Examination as the index of diagnostic validity. J Affect Disord 66:159–164

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Becker GS (1957) The economics of discrimination. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 60637

  • Bennington L (2001) Age discrimination: converging evidence from four australian studies. Empl Responsib Right J 13:125–134

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blekesaune M, Solem PE (2005) Working conditions and early retirement—a prospective study of retirement behavior. Research on Aging 27:3–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brockmann H, Muller R, Helmert U (2009) Time to retire—time to die? A prospective cohort study of the effects of early retirement on long-term survival. Soc Sci Med 69:160–164

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burr H, Bjorner JB, Kristensen TS, Tuchsen F, Bach E (2003) Trends in the Danish work environment in 1990–2000 and their associations with labor-force changes. Scand J Work Environ Health 29:270–279

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deding M, Wong K (2004) Mænds og Kvinders løn: En analyse af løngabet 1997–2001. 04:10. Copenhagen, SFI Socialforskningsinstituttet. Report

  • Elovainio M, Forma P, Kivimaki M, Sinervo T, Sutinen R, Laine M (2005) Job demands and job control as correlates of early retirement thoughts in Finnish social and health care employees. Work Stress 19:84–92

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ESeC (2010) European socio-economic classification (ESeC). http://www.iser.essex.ac.uk/research/esec. Electronic Citation

  • Furunes T, Mykletun RJ (2010) Age discrimination in the workplace: validation of the Nordic Age Discrimination Scale (NADS). Scand J Psychol 51:23–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gruber J, Wise D (1999) Social Security, retirement incentives, and retirement behavior: an international perspective. EBRI Issue Brief 209:1–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Ilmarinen J (1997) Aging and work—coping with strengths and weaknesses. Scand J Work Environ Health 23:3–5

    Google Scholar 

  • Ilmarinen J (2006) The ageing workforce—challenges for occupational health. Occup Med 56:362–364

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ilmarinen J (2007) The work ability index (WAI). Occup Med 57:160

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jensen PH (2005) Reversing the trend from “early” to “late” exit: push, pull and jump revisited in a Danish context. Geneva Pap Risk Insur Issues Pract 30:656–673

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kessler RC et al (2003) The world health organization health and work performance questionnaire (HPQ). J Occup Environ Med 45:156–174

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Landis JR, Koch GG (1977) Measurement of observer agreement for categorical data. Biometrics 33:159–174

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Larsen M (2008) Does quality of work life affect men and women’s retirement planning differently? Appl Res Qual Life 3:23–42

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Loretto W, White P (2006) Population ageing and older workers: employers’ perceptions, attitudes and policies. Popul Space Place 12:341–352

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lund T, Borg V (1999) Work environment and self-rated health as predictors of remaining in work 5 years later among Danish employees 35–59 years of age. Exp Aging Res 25:429–434

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lund T, Villadsen E (2005) Who retires early and why? Determinants of early retirement pension among Danish employees 57–62 years. Eur J Ageing 2:275–280

    Google Scholar 

  • Martinez MC, Latorre MDDD (2006) Health and work ability among office workers. Rev Saude Publica 40:851–858

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nielsen J (1999) Employability and workability among Danish employees. Exp Aging Res 25:393–397

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nunally JC, Bernstein IH (1994) Psychometric Theory. McGraw-Hill, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Pejtersen JH, Kristensen TS, Borg V, Bjorner JB (2010) The second version of the copenhagen psychosocial questionnaire. Scand J Public Health 38:8–24

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Phelps ES (1972) Statistical theory of racism and sexism. Am Econ Rev 62:659–661

    Google Scholar 

  • Riach PA, Rich J (2006) An experimental investigation of age discrimination in the French labour market. IZA Discussion Papers

  • Riach PA, Rich J (2007a) An experimental investigation of age discrimination in the English labor market. IZA Discussion Papers

  • Riach PA, Rich J (2007b) An experimental investigation of age discrimination in the Spanish labour market. IZA Discussion Papers

  • Schalk R (2004) Changes in the employment relation across time. 304. United States, Oxford University Press. The employment relationship: examining psychological and contextual perspectives. Serial (Book, Monograph)

  • Seitsamo J (2005) Qualities of work, functioning and early retirement. A longitudinal study among Finnish ageing workers in 1981–1997. Int Congr Ser 1280:136–141

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sell L, Bultmann U, Rugulies R, Villadsen E, Faber A, Søgaard K (2009) Predicting long-term sickness absence and early retirement pension from self-reported work ability. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 82:1133–1138

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sigg R, De-Luigi V (2007) The success of policies aimed at extending working life. In: Development and trends: supporting dynamic social security. World social security forum 29th ISSA general assembly, International Social Security Association, Moscow, pp 51–60. Report

  • Soidre T (2005) Retirement-age preferences of women and men aged 55–64 years in Sweden. Ageing Soc 25:943–963

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sutinen R, Kivimaki M, Elovainio M, Forma P (2005) Associations between stress at work and attitudes towards retirement in hospital physicians. Work Stress 19:177–185

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Topa G, Moriano JA, Depolo M, Alcover CM, Morales JF (2009) Antecedents and consequences of retirement planning and decision-making: a meta-analysis and model. J Vocat Behav 75:38–55

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Townsend P (2006) Policies for the aged in the 21st century: more ‘structured dependency’ or the realisation of human rights? Ageing Soc 26:161–179

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tuomi K, Ilmarinen J, Seitsamo J, Huuhtanen P, Martikainen R, Nygard CH, Klockars M (1997) Summary of the Finnish research project (1981–1992) to promote the health and work ability of aging workers. Scand J Work Environ Health 23:66–71

    Google Scholar 

  • Tuomi K, Huuhtanen P, Nykyri E, Ilmarinen J (2001) Promotion of work ability, the quality of work and retirement. Occup Med 51:318–324

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • van Oorschot W, Jensen PH (2009) Early retirement differences between Denmark and The Netherlands. A cross-national comparison of push and pull factors in two small European welfare states. J Aging Stud 23:267–278

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang M, Shultz KS (2010) Employee retirement: a review and recommendations for future investigation. J Manag 36:172–206

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Westerlund H et al (2009) Self-rated health before and after retirement in France (GAZEL): a cohort study. Lancet 374:1889–1896

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Christian Roepstorff for the data management of the study. The research was financed by the Danish Working Environment Research Fund, project number 26-2009-03. The data collection for the DANES project was financed by the National research centre of the working environment.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø parkallé 105, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Sannie Thorsen, Reiner Rugulies, Katja Løngaard, Vilhelm Borg & Jakob Bue Bjorner

  2. Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, 1014, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Karsten Thielen

Authors
  1. Sannie Thorsen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Reiner Rugulies
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Katja Løngaard
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Vilhelm Borg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Karsten Thielen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Jakob Bue Bjorner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sannie Thorsen.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Thorsen, S., Rugulies, R., Løngaard, K. et al. The association between psychosocial work environment, attitudes towards older workers (ageism) and planned retirement. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 85, 437–445 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-011-0689-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-011-0689-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation