How on earth do people work into their 60's and beyond.

[BG2015]

DP and I were talking earlier (he's now asleep at 7.15pm) and saying how do people work into their 60's and 70's.

My DP is 59, he works in demolition which can be quite an active job. He's out of the house at 6am as they travel all over the country and he often isn't back until 6pm.

I'm a teacher recently dropped to 4 days after ongoing health issues after having breast cancer in 2021. Im 55, 56 in February.

We're both knackered. Neither of us sleep very well at all. We eat healthily and used to go to the gym 2/3 times a week but now only manage walking as our form of exercise.

I'm desperate to change jobs, planing to retire at 58 and get a part time job in an office. I think once I retire DP will reduce his hours and slowly retire.

But how do people have the energy to keep working. A teaching assistant at my school has just retired at 71 and I really don't know how she's kept going.

It also depends on the commute. I would be Ok working until my late 60s if I could walk leisurely to work and sleep until 8 am. With my almost 2 hour commute each way I can barely function and I’m still a long time away from retirement

I imagine she has no choice. I will have no choice but to keep working, I just hope that I can .

A good mate of mine is a general builder, 89, still has his 6 pack and was back in a trench digging footings by hand a few weeks after a hip replacement. He'll die working and happy!

If you're 56 your state pension will kick in at 67 won't it? As things stand currently.

That's about the size of it.

My father worked as a mechanic well into his 60s. This was in a small garage that didn't have powered lifting gear, so engines had to be removed using a rope and pulley. It was heavy work, but he did it for financial reasons. He was capable of it, but for the last few years, every night after work he needed a soak in a hot bath so he would be mobile enough to do it again the following day.

He also had a very short commute and my mother had his dinner on the table for him every night, did all the housework. Its the extras like that that can really tip you over into exhaustion.

I'm 55 and work in an admin role (PA). I'm trying to chuck as much into my pension as possible as I'm tired already, and don't know if I can keep up the pace of work into my 60s. I don't sleep well, which is the main issue. And I'm long past menopause so can't even blame that.

The company has already said they want me to stay until retirement (which I want to do too) so I will keep going as long as possible then ask to drop down to part-time before retiring altogether.

It's a fast paced role, some days with long hours and hard deadlines, though mainly wfh.

I am 60 and working full time as a programme manager. I am hoping that all the stars align and I get redundancy in 4 years.

If that does happen I would probably try and do some consultancy a couple of days a week.

I feel weary in general working full time, but I am not as physically healthy as I could be (currently addressing that).

I can imagine Dh choosing to but he loves his job, if it started getting too easy or repetitive he’d want to leave (it’s very project based and often he’s still learning new things). He also works really long hours but seems to thrive on it, he is one of those people who sleeps very deeply (only thing that has ever woken him up is DD crying at night, then he’s up like a shot) though so I think even on 5 hours sleep he’s actually rested. i’m the exact opposite and thrive off being left alone with a book.

He works with someone who must be late 70’s, extremely senior, very active etc he was forced to quit because he had a heart attack but then came back onboard as a consultant type of thing. I think if you are paid well to do an interesting job and you aren’t bored yet then you could easily keep going, health permitting.

I think most of us just don’t have a choice though. Physical jobs especially are extremely tough to maintain. There will be a rare few who manage but bodies do wear out.

I quit teaching at 50. I was exhausted and burnt out . I was part- time but worked so many hours - on my days off, at weekends, in school until 7pm.

I now have an amazing hybrid office job which also includes travel abroad. I could continue doing this until retirement and beyond.

If I had continued teaching , I reckon I would have ended up in hospital...

It all depends on the job.

My mum retired at 62, but the last year or so she was on furlough during covid, got made redundant eventually and thought I might as well just retire. A year later she decided to get a part time job at a supermarket largely because she was bored in between the holidays etc, within six months she was a supervisor and now she's 64 and a department manager working 30 hours!
She still has plenty of energy and when she took on the part time job, struggled just to be an employee when she could see things could be more efficient. She has my DNs once a week and helped with DS over the summer holidays, she's always doing something.

they love their job. They are in a job/at a level where they can do things on their own terms (boss). Get paid a lot. No major health issues.

those things are true for the older people I know who still work.

I would like to add I’m not surprised you’re burnt out as a teacher.

I'd say most carry on to be able to live, eat, pay their mortgage.

My mum is 68. She's a social work manager. Very stressful. She hasn't retired as she doesn't want to spend her days running around after my step dad. Can't blame her.

I found the most exhausting time was when I was working full time with child (and I only had one...)

At 58 I wish I could retire but mainly because I would love a golden Boomer style retirement, which I will never have. I'll work as long as possible as when I retire, I'll be in poverty. I'm now in a job which is mentally taxing, but a great, flexible employer, and WFH, so it should suit for another 15 years or so, I hope.

Next year i’ll have worked solidly fulltime (no kids so no mat leave) for 30 years at 46 (apprentice at 16). I’m knackered.

I have a plan to get the mortgage done within the next ten years max. Then save and reduce hours when able. I’m already saving and have part of my nhs pension at 60 so i’m hoping i can reduce in my fifties slightly then again in 60s

In not sure i’ll be in the NHS still though….

I have police in my team who are over 60, but it's a more specialist role, police officers can take their pensions quite early and they're very generous so she'll be fine

Surely most mortgages would be paid off by the time you're in your late 60s? The full state pension is around £11,000 at the moment - 22k if there's two of you. Expenses should come down if you're retired - eg no mortgage payments, one car (or none) instead of two, dcs independent (you hope!)
I'm reading about the different jobs people have with interest - loving the teacher who now has a hybrid job with some travel, sounds like a dream to this tired teacher!

I'm nearly 66 and work part time - one day in the office and three at home. I love my job and enjoy the challenges it brings. I like to give my brain a workout. I cycle, walk and do pilates and am not on any regular medication. I also eat a good diet with plenty of vegetables.

Apart from arthritis in my foot I am fine health wise, and hope to stay that way.

You both do really tiring jobs. There is no way I would stay in teaching until 68. People change/adjust their careers. Both my parents worked well into their 70s but not in the same job.

@HeySummerWhereAreYou whilst I totally agree re private pensions, some of us have slipped through the gaps. I have had 2 failed marriages, one to a money grabbing psychopath and 1 to an eventual alcoholic with DV inc. I was an incredibly poor single parent to 4 kids and have never recovered financially from either marriage. I earn ok now having built a career and save what I can. But I will only have a state pension so will work as long as I can. My role is niche so I am pretty secure in it, and I enjoy it. If health gives out I don't know what the future holds tbh. But I'm alive and grateful for that. At 61, I've lost too many people my age.

We both retired at 57. I had been planning to retire at 55 since my early 20s. Mortgage free and loving retirement, though can't wait to get our OAP.

Social work manager must be so stressful.

You’re right most people do it because they have to!

My Dad is finally retiring this year. He is 77 and does a very labour intensive job. I don't know how he has managed so long.

You will compete for those jobs with much younger candidates who have more relevant experience.

No young person is looking for a 2 day office job!

I switched and now work full time in an office, teaching gives you a wealth of experience, management, defusing conflict, understanding emotions, leading a team, having a solution based attitude, all come in handy!! You can get corporate training jobs (but I’m so over teaching!)

There La a world out there when you can earn more money and buy extra holidays I get 25 plus 10 bank holidays and can buy 15 extra days.

That covers 10 weeks, so I can go on holiday outside of terms time - something like £250 a week in winter - all in so no spends needed.

Id recommend it.