Retirement and Age Discrimination: Managing Retirement in Higher Education

Abstract

This article presents the results of research undertaken as part of a project, funded by HEFCE, which looks at age discrimination and retirement in the Higher Education (HE) sector in England. It considers the implications of the findings for the legal debate surrounding retirement and age discrimination. Lessons from the research suggest that staff expectations and wishes regarding retirement may not be met by the Age Regulations, in particular with regard to mandatory retirement. Many staff would like to work beyond retirement, but the practice in many HE institutions appears to be to impose retirement on staff. The findings also shed light on the current debate on the purpose and theoretical basis of age discrimination, and the extent to which this is reflected in attitudes and practices in the HE sector. Although the research project focussed on the HE sector, some general observations can be made about the match between worker expectations and the current legal protection against age discrimination.