In this chapter we discuss the literature with respect to the role of employers in retirement processes of older workers and provide suggestions for future research. In the first part of this chapter we will review existing theoretical insights regarding the employers' actions and attitudes toward older workers and retirement. In the next section we will discuss empirical findings with regard to age related stereotypes in the workplace and age norms with respect to retirement and present some results form an international comparative employer study. We conclude with a section on the management of retirement processes, focussing on the exit and hiring of older workers. 3
IntroductionExtending people's working life is seen as a key element in curtailing the rising costs associated with an ageing population. In the countries of the OECD and of the European Union, a host of initiatives have been taken that aim to delay retirement and support the labour force participation of older workers (OECD 2006b). At the government level, these initiatives vary from pension reforms that limit opportunities for an early exit from the workforce to legislation against age discrimination and public campaigns to combat negative stereotyping in the workplace. At the organisational level, employers are urged to develop policies geared towards increasing the employability of older workers, for instance by means of life-long learning. However, these government initiatives may not achieve their goals if proposals and targets for extending the working life of older workers are not actively supported by employers. Vickerstaff, Cox and Keen (2003) state that any significant change in retirement behaviour will come primarily from changes in employer policies. In this article we argue that for a better understanding of older workers' career decisions we need to incorporate the driving forces of retirement processes at the demand side of the labour market. Employers are key players in defining the opportunities for retirement as well as the opportunities for working longer. As a result, the success of policies aimed at delaying retirement depend to a large extent on the actions and attitudes of employers.Although retirement has traditionally been thought of as a discrete and abrupt discontinuation of work, today's "retirement" can be characterized as a process which can take multiple forms offering the option of a gradual transition from full time work to 'full time' retirement. While some older workers are affected by processes of disengagement from work and mental withdrawal from their jobs even years before they actually retire In this article we discuss the relevant literature with respect to the role of employers in retirement processes of older workers. In the first part of this article we will review existing theoretical insights regarding the employers actions and attitudes toward older workers and retirement. In the next section we will discuss empirical findings from the Hendrikse, and Schippers 2010) point of view. These stu...