Are you mid-50s? Do you still work full time?

[elsaandanna]

I'm the only woman I know of my age who works full time.

Admittedly I have a small circle of people I know and none of them have glamorous or high flying careers.

I'm a childminder so I'm busy long days, 5 days a week. Can't drop a day as I'd lose income. The parents that need childcare 5 days a week because they work full time are much younger than me.

Coming up 54 and still work full time in a senior role. I can't see me leaving before 60 at a minimum, I have 3 DCs in to see through uni and I am the sole earner in the house.

At first glance most of us that are over 50 and are working full time are doing it because we can't afford to drop hours/days.

I'm 53 and have just had an expensive divorce. I will likely have to work full time until I am 68 at least.
I like my job though and I can go home to my own (small) house at the end of the day (with no wanker in it). DDs are now adults and doing well, I count my blessings TBH

I'm not sure what I thought in terms of retirement, that perhaps I would work until I was early 60's. However, it's not just reducing energy levels that determine how long you can work but family care commitments in a country where the provision of adult social care is derisory.

As it turned out, I had to retire in an absolute hurry at the age 57 just as Covid started so I could care for my terminally ill father, then my unmarried aunt, then my widowed mother in-law and finally my mother. In succession, one after the other. Residential care was out of the question (i) because the homes were shut to admissions during the height of Covid (ii) the cost of residential care was greater than any salary I could earn. I didn't even retire at the time, I just paused my work but clearly 3.5 years later I'm not going back so I guess I've retired. I'm now looking after my brother who has capacity issues and was living with our parents. I'm not sure what I imagined would happen in terms of elderly care, I suppose I was naive to be blanking the thought out of my mind. I'm so grateful that I was in a position where I didn't absolutely have to work because I'm not sure how I would coped otherwise.

I am 55 and just retired. My pension is not great, but I am supported by my partner, who is also retired.

I am 53 and work 4 days a week although an extra 30 minutes a day over those working 5 days a week . But unless win the lottery that will continue till retirement

I'm 52. I work ft now (since September 2022, in teaching), but before that I'd been pt since my first dc was born 18 years ago. It's been a bit of a shock to the system, but I was lucky to be able to work part-time for so long. My school is great, but the workload is pretty brutal.

61 and still teaching ft. Kids at Uni. All my friends are still working ft too ( not in the UK).

Late 50s, still working full time. I love my job, have no desire to reduce my hours just yet. It's a senior role and I still feel I have plenty to offer.

Yes, and yes.

My mortgage is paid off and I have substantial savings so I would love to be able to work PT, but unfortunately it’s not an option in my current role, and that’s unlikely to change. I WFH permanently, which suits me very well & gives me an excellent work / life balance, so the situation is tolerable, but if they tried to force me to go back to the office something would have to give.

I'm younger at 45 but in 10 years time I'll have a 16 and 19 year old at school/uni potentially so will need to still be working full time. I'm hoping DH and I can retire at 62 (both same age), 65 at worst, 60 at best. I can't see a situation where I'll be able to drop hours though between school fees/uni/pension/mortgage but I'm lucky that my job is mainly wfh.

Sorry, I mis worded that. I'll still pay into the pension, just will be paying less as its a percentage of my wage.

52 and yes

No, can’t hack it physically. Really disappointed at how frail the body has become in the past two years.

I’m very good at compressed hours tho’. I achieve waaay more than the rest of the team. But… when I overperform to save time, I end up passed out in the other hours, ie mine, so life balance can be a bit of a teaser.

Fifty four and I've worked full time since leaving school apart from six months maternity leave. I'm not in the position to reduce my hours but wish I could. I'm so knackered 😴

I'll be working till I'm 67

Can't afford to go part time

Wow, everyone of my age (and yours) still works full time. You must have a cracking pension.

I’m mid fifties of my women friends

Work FT 3
Work PT 2
Retired Early 4

I’m 50 and work .8 as a lecturer. I do a bit of freelance work on the side though.

Well, partly perhaps. A lot of it might be about trying to quickly build up a pension if you realise you’ve left it too late. Most men surely work full time in their 50s, so why wouldn’t women? There are also those who’ve lost their jobs in their 50s and struggle to find anything else and have to take what they can get.

Isn't that ultimately why anyone does a job at any age? Because they can't afford not to.
I enjoy my job, but would still quit if I could afford it. Because there are things I would enjoy more.
And yes, I am in my 50s and work full time.

I’m 59 so a bit older than mid 50s. Out of all my friends/relations the same age (or thereabouts), only two have stopped working full time.

I am 58. Work FT and at least another 6 hours a week in OT. There is no chance of me going PT or even retiring. I looked at dropping 1 to 2 days a week and realised I would still need to do FT work in PT hours and for less pay.
I have 2 chronic health conditions and many people are surprised I work at all but needs must. I have an idea the only way I will leave is in a box

I'm not 50 (and I work part time but will do in my 50s when DS is older), but I work with lots of women in their 50s who are full time.

I think your job is unusual in that you work, but are based in the non-workplace world, so are more likely to meet women who don't. The children you look after are young, so their parents are younger - they will also be working in their 50s, but then their children won't be of an age for you to look after them.

Basically if you switched to most other jobs you would quickly meet all the women your age who work full time.

56 Still working very FT in IT. I would retire tomorrow if I could afford it.

Our team was 4 women of similar ages and were the most experienced in team, 5 men in 30-40s (mostly offshore).

1 has gone for early retirement as we had a huge 5 year project coming up and she couldnt face it, another, our team lead, is planning to retire in 2 years because her partner is slightly older. Other, age 61, had been made redundant as her location is being closed down and is looking for something different PT as doesnt have confidence to start FT in IT again elsewhere.

I am saving like mad!