The majority of working baby boomers say they would stay on the job longer if they had the option to move into semi-retirement, according to a new poll.
With unemployment in Canada at record lows and labour shortages growing across economic sectors, allowing older employees to semi-retire could be a way to keep employees working longer. That’s the finding of a new survey by The Harris Poll on behalf of staffing agency Express Employment Professionals.
The poll found that 76% of Canadian baby boomers said they'd opt for a flexible work schedule if allowed, while 60% would choose reduced hours with reduced benefits. The online survey of 500 Canadian workers aged 54 to 72 suggests a disconnect between the willingness of the enormous baby boomer cohort to stick around the workplace and a lack of options for those who'd like a gradual exit from full-time employment.
The survey also found that 56% of respondents said they'd like to transition to a consulting role, if given the opportunity. Yet only 30% of the boomers surveyed said their employer offered any sort of semi-retirement option. Additionally, only 36% of people said their employers had ever brought a former employee out of retirement so they could return to work.
