Does workplace flexibility help to retain older workers in their career jobs up to and beyond retirement age? A qualitative study in the knowledge-intensive sector in Switzerland

Abstract

Little is known about how relevant workplace flexibility is on continued work in one’s career job – a type of bridge employment that should best help to reduce the negative aspects of skilled worker shortage. We therefore examined the role of temporal, locational and functional flexibility on career consistent bridge employment in the knowledge-intensive sector. The qualitative study included interviews with employees before retirement age in Switzerland, individuals with a career consistent bridge job and retirees, who were no longer employed in any form. Our results show that some factors are prerequisites for any type of bridge employment. However, career consistent bridge employment seems dependent on both significance and value of one's work combined with workplace flexibility.