Goedele A. Geuskens

Multiple job holding (MJH) is a common and growing phenomenon in many countries. Little is known about experiences with MJH among older workers. The objective of the present study is to gain insight in experiences with MJH among Dutch workers aged 45 years and older. Multiple job holders were selected from the Study on Transitions in Employment, Ability, and Motivation (STREAM), a Dutch cohort study among persons aged 45 years and older. Purposive sampling was applied to assure heterogeneity regarding gender, educational level, health, financial situation, willingness to continue MJH, and type of MJH (only jobs as employee or also being self-employed). Interviews were conducted until data saturation occurred. Fifteen multiple job holders participated in this study (eight men, seven women). Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed, along with field notes, using thematic content analysis. The data were openly coded, after which codes were aggregated into themes, which formed a thematic map. In each phase of the analysis at least two researchers were involved to increase reliability. Experiences with MJH varied from positive to negative. They were influenced by characteristics of individual jobs, e.g. social support at work, as well as characteristics of the combination of jobs, e.g. positive spill-over effects, and conflicts between work schedules. The personal context of multiple job holders, e.g. their age, or reason for MJH, affected how work characteristics influenced experiences. Negative experiences with one job often coincided with negative experience in the other job(s), and problems in the personal context. Some multiple job holders were able to make changes to their situation when desired. For some, this was not possible, which augmented their negative experience. This study adds to existing knowledge that experiences with MJH are not only influenced by work characteristics but also by the personal context of multiple job holders, and that some workers are able to change their situation when desired, while others are not. Future research should study how different combinations of work and personal characteristics influence sustainable employability of multiple job holders. Policies facilitating life-long learning could increase opportunities to change the MJH situation when desired.

Objectives Objectives were to: (1) longitudinally assess transitions in employment status of employees with and without chronic disease; and (2) assess predictors of exit from paid employment. Methods Transitions in employment status at 1- and 2-year follow-up were assessed in a longitudinal cohort study of employees aged 15–63 years. Generalised estimating equations (GEE) and logistic regression analyses were performed to analyse differences in transitions and identify sociodemographic, health- and work-related predictors. Results At 1- and 2-year follow-up, 10,038 employees (37% with chronic disease) and 7636 employees responded. Employees with chronic disease had higher probability of leaving paid employment [OR 1.4 (1.1–1.6)] and unemployment, disability pension and early retirement. Employees without chronic disease had higher chance of moving into self-employment or study. At 2-year follow-up, employees with cardiovascular disease (15%), chronic mental disease (11%), diabetes (10%) and musculoskeletal disease (10%), had left paid employment most often. Higher age, poor health, burnout, low co-worker support and chronic disease limitations were predictors for leaving paid employment. Conclusions Employees with chronic disease leave paid work more often for unfavourable work outcomes.

An increasing number of retirees continue to work beyond retirement despite being eligible to retire. As the prevalence of chronic disease increases with age, working beyond retirement may go along with having a chronic disease. Working beyond retirement may be different for retirees with and without chronic disease. We aim to investigate whether demographic, socioeconomic and work characteristics, health and social factors predict working beyond retirement, in workers with and without a chronic disease. Employees aged 56–64 years were selected from the Study on Transitions in Employment, Ability and Motivation (N = 1125). Questionnaire data on demographic and work characteristics, health, social factors, and working beyond retirement were linked to registry data from Statistics Netherlands on socioeconomic characteristics. Separate prediction models were built for retirees with and without chronic disease using multivariate logistic regression analyses. Workers without chronic disease were more likely to work beyond retirement compared to workers with chronic disease (27% vs 23%). In retirees with chronic disease, work and health factors predicted working beyond retirement, while in retirees without a chronic disease, work, health and social factors predicted working beyond retirement. In the final model for workers with chronic disease, healthcare work, better physical health, higher body height, lower physical load and no permanent contract were positively predictive of working beyond retirement. In the final model for workers without chronic disease, feeling full of life and being intensively physically active for > = 2 days per week were positively predictive of working beyond retirement; while manual labor, better recovery, and a partner who did not support working until the statutory retirement age, were negatively predictive of working beyond retirement. Work and health factors independently predicted working beyond retirement in workers with and without chronic disease, whereas social factors only did so among workers without chronic disease. Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics did not independently contribute to prediction of working beyond retirement in any group. As prediction of working beyond retirement was more difficult among workers with a chronic disease, future research is needed in this group.

Background: Due to the aging of the population and subsequent higher pressure on public finances, there is a need for employees in many European countries to extend their working lives. One way in which this can be achieved is by employees refraining from retiring early. Factors predicting early retirement have been identified in quantitative research, but little is known on why and how these factors influence early retirement. The present qualitative study investigated which non-health related factors influence early retirement, and why and how these factors influence early retirement. Methods: A qualitative study among 30 Dutch employees (60–64 years) who retired early, i.e. before the age of 65, was performed by means of face-to-face interviews. Participants were selected from the cohort Study on Transitions in Employment, Ability and Motivation (STREAM). Results: For most employees, a combination of factors played a role in the transition from work to early retirement, and the specific factors involved differed between individuals. Participants reported various factors that pushed towards early retirement (‘push factors’), including organizational changes at work, conflicts at work, high work pressure, high physical job demands, and insufficient use of their skills and knowledge by others in the organization. Employees who reported such push factors towards early retirement often felt unable to find another job. Factors attracting towards early retirement (‘pull factors’) included the wish to do other things outside of work, enjoy life, have more flexibility, spend more time with a spouse or grandchildren, and care for others. In addition, the financial opportunity to retire early played an important role. Factors influenced early retirement via changes in the motivation, ability and opportunity to continue working or retire early. Conclusion: To support the prolongation of working life, it seems important to improve the fit between the physical and psychosocial job characteristics on the one hand, and the abilities and wishes of the employee on the other hand. Alongside improvements in the work environment that enable and motivate employees to prolong their careers, a continuous dialogue between the employer and employee on the (future) person-job fit and tailored interventions might be helpful.

Background: Due to the aeging of the population, there is a societal need for workers to prolong their working lives. In the Netherlands, many employees still leave the workforce before the official retirement age of 65. Previous quantitative research showed that poor self-perceived health is a risk factor of (non-disability) early retirement. However, little is known on how poor health may lead to early retirement, and why poor health leads to early retirement in some employees, but not in others. Therefore, the present qualitative study aims to identify in which ways health influences early retirement. Methods: Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 employees (60–64 years) who retired before the official retirement age of 65. Participants were selected from the Study on Transitions in Employment, Ability and Motivation. The interviews were transcribed verbatim, a summary was made including a timeline, and the interviews were open coded. Results: In 15 of the 30 persons, health played a role in early retirement. Both poor and good health influenced early retirement. For poor health, four pathways were identified. First, employees felt unable to work at all due to health problems. Second, health problems resulted in a self-perceived (future) decline in the ability to work, and employees chose to retire early. Third, employees with health problems were afraid of a further decline in health, and chose to retire early. Fourth, employees with poor health retired early because they felt pushed out by their employer, although they themselves did not experience a reduced work ability. A good health influenced early retirement, since persons wanted to enjoy life while their health still allowed to do so. The financial opportunity to retire sometimes triggered the influence of poor health on early retirement, and often triggered the influence of good health. Employees and employers barely discussed opportunities to prolong working life. Conclusions: Poor and good health influence early retirement via several different pathways. To prolong working life, a dialogue between employers and employees and tailored work-related interventions may be helpful.

Objective: To identify predictors of the willingness and ability of older workers to continue working until the age of 65. Methods: In this longitudinal study, 4937 employees aged 45 to 63 years included in the Netherlands Working Conditions Cohort Study were studied. Logistic regression analyses were applied. Results: Employees who experienced emotional exhaustion and bullying or harassment by colleagues/supervisor were less often willing to continue working, whereas employees sometimes using force were more often willing to continue working. Emotional exhaustion, a work handicap, higher physical and emotional demands, lower supervisor's support, and intermediate satisfaction with salary predicted a lower likelihood to be able to continue working. Conclusion: Prevention of emotional exhaustion and promotion of a healthy social work climate may support both the willingness and ability to work until the age of 65 years.

Objective: To examine the influence of enterprise restructuring on general health and emotional exhaustion, and to investigate which factors explain the relation between restructuring and these outcomes. Methods: Longitudinal data of the Netherlands Working Conditions Cohort Study were used. At baseline and after 12 months, 9076 employees filled out a questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was applied. Results: Prolonged exposure to restructuring increased the likelihood of poor general health, and its influence was partly explained by job insecurity. Emotional exhaustion was more likely among employees that experienced prolonged exposure to restructuring or restructuring during the past year. Job insecurity explained the influence of prolonged restructuring, together with job demands and supervisor's support. Conclusions: Prolonged exposure to restructuring adversely affects general health and emotional exhaustion in employees, and its influence seems to be explained by job insecurity.

Objective. To determine the influence of job characteristics on the prognosis of patients with early inflammatory joint conditions. Methods. In a prospective cohort study of 210 workers with inflammatory joint conditions present for Results. Pain and physical functioning strongly improved during the first 6-month period (40 and 14%, respectively), and improvement slowed considerably in the second 6-month period. The proportion of workers with swollen joints dramatically decreased from 58 to 20 then 7%. The good prognosis in pain and physical functioning in the first 6 months was hampered by persistent high levels of inflammation, older age, low perceived health control and low social support. Job characteristics had no influence on the prognosis of pain and swollen joints, whereas workers with frequent manual material handling or high job demands improved ∼50% less in physical functioning. Conclusions. Job characteristics had no influence on the disease characteristics pain and swollen joints, but strongly affected the consequences of disease in physical functioning. Among patients with early inflammatory joint conditions, who do not recover in functional abilities, adjustments in working conditions may be imperative.