Introduction

In the context of the UK government's aim to extend working lives and encourage people to retire later, the availability of flexible working arrangements, such as part-time work, temporary work or self-employment, has been flagged as important (PIU, 2000; DWP, 2002a, p 98; Phillipson and Smith, 2005, pp 49-53; see also Chapter Seven of this volume). The UK government has taken various steps to prolong working lives, including the establishment of an Extending Working Life group within the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP); regulations to combat age discrimination in the workplace, with effect from October 2006; the raising of women's state pension age (SPA) from 60 to 65 by 2020; and the opportunity for people to defer receipt of their state pension (Whiting, 2005, p 286). The White Paper on pensions reform published in May 2006 also proposes further raising the state pension age to an eventual 68 by 2050 (DWP, 2006b, p 113).

It is hypothesised that increasing flexible work options could have an impact on activity rates of older workers in three main ways:

• • by providing opportunities for older workers to downshift at the end of their working careers and hence delay full retirement;

• • by providing ‘bridge jobs’ between career occupation and full retirement;

• • by encouraging those not currently in work because of unemployment, caring responsibilities or health issues to return to the labour market.

Hitherto, relatively little has been known about the existing patterns of flexible working among older workers or about the aspirations and motivations of older workers with respect to flexible work options. This chapter addresses these issues, drawing on work undertaken for the Equal Opportunities Commission (see Loretto et al, 2005).

The chapter is in five sections. The first sets the scene with an analysis of the January to March 2006 Labour Force Survey (LFS) to provide a picture of the existing patterns of employment among older workers (defined as those aged 50+). The second section continues this analysis of the LFS to consider the current patterns of flexible working and in particular, the gender differences in these. The third reviews existing research, which considers the kinds of flexible work options that older workers need and what informs their needs.