One in six retired men go back to work – and are happier for it
Working men might dream of retiring to travel the world or simply relax after slogging it out at work – but once they stop working, it seems many of them crave a return to the office.
A new study has found that an increasing number of men u-turn on their retirement plans in favour of going back to work, hoping to find fulfilment.
According to think thank Centre for the Modern Family, nearly one in six men have returned to work from retirement – and most of them (three in five) are doing it because they are bored rather than because they need to earn more money.
This compares to one in ten women who return to their profession because of financial reasons.
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Not everyone is immune from financial stresses, however: a fifth of those surveyed said they needed to work to support their family.
Men also came out of retirement to improve their relationship with their partner, which they said meant having time away from their better halves. In fact, 17 per cent of men and 10 per cent of women felt improvements in family relationships as a result of spending more time independently.
Of course, some men simply enjoy their jobs – which is why a quarter said they were staying at work. And more than half of men choose to stay in work as they feel they are not "old enough" to retire.
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The report uses the insight to suggest how changes to the workforce will need to be made in order to stay competitive.
Jackie Leiper, director of employment relations at Lloyds, said:
As the face of Britain’s workforce continues to evolve, we need to step back and ask ourselves if we are truly embracing this change and meeting the changing needs of a generation of people who are continuing to work beyond the age of 65 whether out of desire or necessity.
A more diverse and flexible workforce brings significant potential for us to increase our productivity and competitiveness as a nation. However, we will only make it a success if we fully support employees finding the right balance between work and family commitments later on in their working lives.
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