Ironically, it’s a change in corporate thinking that may have added to the idea that retirement includes work. On the one hand, companies have been forcing older, high salaried employees out, but on the other, they’ve become much more amenable to out-sourced staffing. It doesn’t take a genius in the corporate hierarchy to figure out that an experienced work force can go a long way to help a company meet specific and short-term needs, and that realization has opened the door to a new kind of employment opportunity for older individuals.
Such sub-contracted jobs help both parties. Retirees have a safety net if their incomes dip to anxiety-provoking levels, and corporations have a high quality employee pool that doesn’t require a long term obligation. Furthermore, retirees are often willing to work for less money because they have supplemental income sources, and that makes them very attractive to those looking to hire but not looking to commit.
There’s an important psychological distinction between those who consider themselves working and retirees who hold jobs. Working retirees demand favorable working conditions, and will dictate how the job is to be structured, with less stress as a key criterion. Setting the terms of employment is one way they’re able to think of themselves as retirees. Larry, our retired consultant, described his job this way:
“When I went back to work for my company, it wasn’t for the money. I actually liked my job, but I wanted to do other things besides work. With the way my job is structured now, I don’t have the same sense of commitment to it and I don’t feel the stress. That doesn’t mean I don’t put in my best effort, but now I do it because I want to and not because I have to.”
“What’s great about my job now is I’m in control. I have lots of flexibility as to what I do, how much I want to do, and when I do it. I might start work at 4 am or I might start at 10 pm. I work for about 6 hours per day on the days that I work, but the start and stop times are my call. Many of my assignments are in response to a particular issue on a given day, but I set my own priorities and my company accepts this. The truth is I’m not really worried about how they feel. What can they do about it? They can’t fire me — I’m retired. Besides, I work hard, I’m respected, and I work cheap.”
Larry admits there are still crazy days with tight deadlines and pressures. “When those days happen, I lose that sense of control, and all the good things about the job go away. If there’s ever too many of those days, I’ll have to re-consider things.” Yet, as long as conditions remain favorable, he’ll keep working into the foreseeable future.
