Barbara Myers: Older workers still struggle with work-life balance

Auckland University of Technology; Barbara Myers, Associate Professor, Auckland University of Technology; and Jarrod Haar, Dean’s Chair in Management and Māori Business, Massey University Auckland, Dec 26 (The Conversation) The idea that we can comfortably manage all the different facets of life – work, family, other responsibilities – is certainly appealing. But in reality, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to work-life balance – especially for older workers.

Making up a third of the New Zealand workforce, older workers (aged 55 and older) are a growing cohort in the economy.

There is the temptation to treat everyone in this age bracket as the same. But our new research shows this is a mistake. In fact, the support older workers want in order to achieve better work-life balance can differ as they age.

Indeed, the lives of older workers can vary greatly when it comes to employment, family structure, financial resources, time and wellbeing.

As the number of older employees in the economy grows, it’s important to understand what will help keep them satisfied in their work as they move towards and beyond retirement age.

Anxiety, depression and older workers

The goal of our research was to better understand the effects of work-life balance on anxiety and depression caused by job stress among older…