No Good-Bye and No Thanks: A Case Study on the Experience of Mexican University Professors Retiring in Times of Pandemic.

Abstract

The pandemic has left its mark on virtually every aspect of human life, including retirement. The main objective of this paper was to explore the role of the pandemic in the retirement decision of a group of Mexican university professors. A qualitative research methodology was chosen; 10 women and four men were interviewed. The theoretical framework that guided this work was the 3D model in retirement decision-making, which presents three primary elements in decision making: finances, health, and psychological well-being. Also, the model uses 6 categories: push factors, pull factors, barriers, enablers, triggers, and overrides. A matrix based on the elements and categories of the 3D model was elaborated, and results indicate that the pandemic did play a role in the decision to retire of all participants. Among the main factors for retiring were the long-term after-effects of professors who contracted COVID-19, stress due to training needs for distance education, changes in the family dynamics, the return to face-to-face classes, guilt, uncertainty, and recognition of the fragility of life.