UK and Hong Kong Survey of Older Workers
Managing the Ageing Workforce in the East and the West
ISBN: 978-1-78714-639-6, eISBN: 978-1-78714-638-9
Publication date: 7 November 2017
Citation
(2017), "UK and Hong Kong Survey of Older Workers", Flynn, M., Li, Y. and Chiva, A. (Ed.) Managing the Ageing Workforce in the East and the West (The Changing Context of Managing People), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 249-266. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-78714-638-920171015
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018 Emerald Publishing Limited
Table A1 shows the demographic profile of the survey.
UK (%) | Hong Kong (%) | |
---|---|---|
Gender | ||
Male | 50.1 | 50 |
Female | 49.9 | 50 |
Age | ||
45–49 | 16.3 | 39.9 |
50–54 | 26.3 | 36.6 |
55–59 | 31.5 | 16.5 |
60–64 | 18.9 | 5.5 |
65+ | 7.1 | 1.5 |
Sector | ||
Agriculture | 0.4 | 0.5 |
Energy and water | 2.6 | 1.5 |
Manufacturing | 9.1 | 12.5 |
Construction | 5.1 | 7.2 |
Catering (e.g., hotel or restaurant) | 2.5 | 3.4 |
Transport | 8.6 | 9 |
Banking and finance | 4.5 | 6.9 |
Public administration | 7.8 | 6.4 |
Education | 8.9 | 10 |
Health services | 9.1 | 5.3 |
Charity/voluntary sector | 4.3 | 1.6 |
Retail and wholesale | 11.3 | 14.4 |
Social care and social work | 4.9 | 2.6 |
Business and support services | 18.3 | 13.3 |
Others | 2.9 | 5.3 |
Total | 100 | |
Marital status | ||
Single (never been married or cohabiting) | 12.8 | 17.3 |
Married or cohabiting | 68 | 77.3 |
Divorced | 16.5 | 3.3 |
Widowed | 2.8 | 2.3 |
Weekly household income | ||
Bottom quintile | 11.3 | 4.4 |
Second to lowest quintile | 28.9 | 11.3 |
Middle quintile | 32.5 | 16.6 |
Second to highest quintile | 19 | 29.4 |
Highest quintile | 8.4 | 38.4 |
Highest level of Education | ||
Higher degree (e.g., Masters or PhD) | 7.8 | 11.4 |
First degree (e.g., BA, BSc) | 18.9 | 21.3 |
Other qualification (e.g., City and Guilds, RSA/OCR, BTEC/Edexcel) | 18 | 1.3 |
NVQ at level 4 or equivalent | 8.1 | 10.3 |
At least one A level or equivalent | 16.1 | 44.6 |
At least one O level or equivalent | 23.9 | 9.1 |
No qualifications | 7.2 | 2.1 |
Trade Union Membership | ||
Yes | 27.5 | 17.6 |
No | 72.5 | 82.4 |
Caring responsibilities | ||
Yes | 32 | 69.9 |
No | 68 | 30.1 |
Variables | Source Question | UK (%) | Hong Kong (%) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Have you taken part in any education or any training connected with your job, or a job you might be able to do in the future? | In the last 6 months | Labour Force Survey (UK) | 20.8 | 18.8 |
More than 6 months ago | 54.5 | 52.6 | ||
Never | 24.8 | 28.6 | ||
Did your employer support you in terms? (Please tick all that apply.) | Encouraging you to take part in training | National Adult Learning Survey (NALS) | 63.8 | 45.7 |
Subsidising the cost of tuition | 36.0 | 29.2 | ||
Providing time off | 32.4 | 16.3 | ||
Recognising your training in ways such as higher pay or promotion | 16.1 | 14.7 | ||
What made you decide to take part in training? | Gain new skills for my job | NALS | 50.2 | 61.1 |
Get more satisfaction out of my work | 21.4 | 18.9 | ||
Get a new job | 10.3 | 11.2 | ||
Get a pay rise | 9.3 | 16.8 | ||
Set up my own business | 2.5 | 3.9 | ||
Get a promotion | 7.3 | 28.4 | ||
Stay in my job that I might have lost without doing this course | 15.3 | 13.3 | ||
Help me with work problems which were related to my health problems or disabilities | 1.7 | 3.2 | ||
Improve my knowledge/ability in the subject | 57.5 | 61.3 | ||
Gain a certificate or qualification | 32.4 | 29.8 | ||
Do something interesting | 21.8 | 13.8 | ||
To find out about a subject | 16.9 | 20.1 | ||
Have some fun | 4.8 | 7.2 | ||
Do something with my spare time | 5.0 | 9.5 | ||
Keep my body active | 3.0 | 7.4 | ||
Get involved with voluntary or community activities | 2.7 | 4.7 | ||
Help my children/family members with their schoolwork | 0.8 | 2.1 | ||
Help with my health problems | 0.8 | 3.2 | ||
If you have not taken part in education or training within the past five years, why have you not done so? (Please tick all that apply.) | Prefer to spend my time doing other things | NALS | 28.3 | 23.6 |
Not interested in learning | 14.1 | 17.5 | ||
Do not need to learn for my work | 54.0 | 29.3 | ||
Do not see any point to education | 2.5 | 21.4 | ||
Lack of time due to work | 24.7 | 46.3 | ||
Lack of time due to family/caring | 12.6 | 27.9 | ||
Nervous about going back to classroom | 4.0 | 7.4 | ||
Worried about keeping up with the training | 5.6 | 13.1 | ||
Difficulties with reading, writing, and numbers | 1.0 | 4.4 | ||
Too old to learn | 15.2 | 37.6 | ||
Course difficult due to health/disability | 0.0 | 3.5 | ||
Employer would not support my learning | 21.7 | 32.8 | ||
How are your working time arrangements set? | They are set by employer with no possibility for changes | European Working Conditions Survey | 48.9 | 68.9 |
You can choose between several fixed working schedules | 9.1 | 13.1 | ||
You can adapt your working hours within certain limits | 34.4 | 12.6 | ||
Your working hours are entirely determined by yourself | 7.6 | 5.4 | ||
How is your health in general? | Very good | 21.3 | 9.4 | |
Rather good | 44.3 | 37.3 | ||
Moderate | 27.5 | 46.6 | ||
Rather poor | 6.5 | 6.4 | ||
Very poor | 0.5 | 0.4 | ||
How would you rate your current ability to work with respect to the physical demands of work? | Very good | Workability Index | 38.4 | 12.5 |
Rather good | 38.1 | 45.3 | ||
Moderate | 20.6 | 39.4 | ||
Rather poor | 2.3 | 2.8 | ||
Very poor | 0.6 | 0.1 | ||
How would you rate your current ability to work with respect to the stress and mental demands of work? | Very good | WAI | 35.1 | 9.9 |
Rather good | 37.9 | 41.1 | ||
Moderate | 22.1 | 43.3 | ||
Rather poor | 4.1 | 5.4 | ||
Very poor | 0.8 | 0.4 | ||
How easy or difficult do you think it would be for you to make the following arrangements? | ||||
To stay in your present job until retirement | Easy | 63.3 | 54.6 | |
To take on a new job within your organisation | Easy | 20.5 | 18.5 | |
To stay in your present job, but to vary your job content | Easy | 32.9 | 23.9 | |
To stay in your present job but change your working hours | Easy | 34.3 | 24.5 | |
To change to a job which is less demanding in your current workplace | Easy | 16.8 | 21.9 | |
To spend all or some of your working time mentoring or sharing knowledge with colleagues | Easy | 25.9 | 30.6 | |
To become self-employed | Easy | 10.0 | 16.4 | |
To work occasionally | Easy | 19.6 | 18.5 | |
How much would you agree or disagree with the following statements? | ||||
The experience of older employees is valued in my workplace | Agree | 59.8 | 47.8 | |
Work teams are usually age-mixed | Agree | 72.9 | 62.3 | |
People are treated equally regardless of age. | Agree | 66.8 | 47.0 | |
How would you rate your skills (including not only taught skills, but also experience and know-how) relative to what you need for? | EWCS (Modified) | |||
Your current job requirement | At about the right level | 55.5 | 50.3 | |
A promotion in your workplace | At about the right level | 65.9 | 51.8 | |
Finding a new job within your organisation | At about the right level | 64.6 | 50.6 | |
Finding a new job outside your organisation | At about the right level | 65.0 | 51.4 | |
Sharing knowledge which could be used by work colleagues | At about the right level | 63.1 | 57.1 | |
How would you rate? | NHS Agenda for Change | |||
Your formal education and training as they relate to your present job | Good/excellent | 70.8 | 50.5 | |
Your IT/computer skills | Good/excellent | 65.8 | 45.4 | |
Your problem-solving skills | Good/excellent | 84.1 | 64.9 | |
Your experience as it relates to your present job | Good/excellent | 88.9 | 71.1 | |
Your on-the-job knowledge | Good/excellent | 90.9 | 69.5 | |
Your knowledge of your workplace and how to get things done within it | Good/excellent | 87.4 | 69.5 | |
Your work-related social networks | Good/excellent | 47.9 | 49.6 | |
When something needs to be done, your ability to persuade others to pitch in | Good/excellent | 73.0 | 58.8 | |
Your ability to manage your workload | Good/excellent | 85.0 | 62.0 | |
Your ability to set goals in work | Good/excellent | 73.8 | 60.9 | |
Your adaptability to changing situations at work | Good/excellent | 80.1 | 61.5 | |
Your ability to identify and implement improvements in your work | Good/excellent | 75.5 | 59.3 | |
Your pride in the work you do | Good/excellent | 81.1 | 48.3 | |
Your ability to evaluate the quality of your work | Good/excellent | 85.0 | 65.3 | |
Your ability to work with people with different perspectives from you | Good/excellent | 81.4 | 55.1 | |
Your ability to make decisions based on all available information | Good/excellent | 85.1 | 64.5 | |
People put effort into their work for many reasons. Which is the main and second most important reasons why you put effort into work? | European Social Survey | |||
To be satisfied with what I have accomplished | Top reason | 49.8 | 33.9 | |
To keep my job | Top reason | 20.0 | 28.4 | |
Because my work is important to other people | Top reason | 12.0 | 4.4 | |
To get a higher wage or promotion | Top reason | 4.1 | 14.0 | |
Because my work tasks are interesting | Top reason | 4.1 | 3.5 | |
Because it’s everyone’s duty to do their best | Top reason | 10.0 | 15.9 | |
How capable do you feel in being able to discuss with your manager? | CIPD Employment Outlook (modified) | |||
Important workplace matters | Excellent/good | 74.0 | 61.8 | |
Your training and development | Excellent/good | 64.0 | 42.3 | |
Your work performance | Excellent/good | 74.5 | 64.6 | |
Your retirement plans | Excellent/good | 42.3 | 35.8 | |
The resources you need to do your job productively | Excellent/good | 67.6 | 49.4 | |
Any problems you may have in work | Excellent/good | 66.5 | 52.0 | |
Do your colleagues help and support you? | Always | 27.0 | 22.8 | |
Most of the time | 45.9 | 36.6 | ||
Sometimes | 21.3 | 33.6 | ||
Rarely | 4.8 | 5.6 | ||
How aware are you of: | Never | 1.1 | 1.4 | |
Your employment rights, particularly in regards to age discrimination | Aware/very aware | 74.5 | 74.0 | |
Your company’s human resource policies particularly in regards to retirement | Aware/very aware | 62.8 | 66.1 | |
What your pension or retirement income will be once you fully retire? | Aware/very aware | 57.3 | 72.3 | |
Does or did your employer provide pre-retirement training or support? Would you like such help now? (Whether or not you are now in paid work.) | Employer offers | Healthy Working Lives | 36.2 | 59.6 |
Planning retirement activities | Employer offers | 41.7 | 62.1 | |
Financial planning | Employer offers | 43.5 | 62.9 | |
Help in using my workplace skills in new ways | Employer offers | 40.0 | 58.4 | |
Help in finding a new job or career | Employer offers | 30.6 | 42.2 | |
Business training to become self employed | Employer offers | 31.1 | 38.7 | |
Thinking about your present job, how much do you agree or disagree with the following statements? | ESS (Modified) | |||
My job makes me satisfied with what I have accomplished | Agree | 73.1 | 65.3 | |
My job is interesting | Agree | 68.4 | 42.3 | |
My job is important to others | Agree | 80.9 | 54.0 | |
I am satisfied with my career prospects | Agree | 48.1 | 40.4 | |
My job is secure | Agree | 52.1 | 58.4 | |
I always do my best in work | Agree | 89.9 | 73.0 | |
Given your profession, position, industry and country, how would you rate your? | International Social Survey Project | |||
Salary | Below average | 32.9 | 19.6 | |
Job quality | Below average | 16.1 | 33.8 | |
Job security | Below average | 17.3 | 22.1 | |
At what age do you plan to fully retire? | Average | 65.08 | 61.64 | |
Age plan to retire: | No plan to retire at present | 14.4 | 6.8 | |
How do you plan to finance your retirement? | Continued paid work | CROW Survey | 27.3 | 35.8 |
Don’t know | 7.8 | 3.8 | ||
Moving to a smaller property | 15.1 | 6.6 | ||
MPF | - | 65.6 | ||
Occupational pension | 50.3 | 8.4 | ||
Partner’s or other family member’s income | 16.3 | 16.0 | ||
Personal savings/investment | 38.4 | 69.6 | ||
Private pension | 37.0 | 12.0 | ||
Property investment | 5.8 | 13.3 | ||
State pension entitlements | 77.3 | 4.5 | ||
Which, if any, of the following are reasons why you plan to retire, or why you have retired at the age you have stated? (Please tick all that apply.) | I have other commitments (e.g. looking after a family member) | 5.4 | 6.2 | |
I have the option of retiring early and would like to take it | 7.2 | 17.8 | ||
I want to do voluntary work | 5.1 | 11.7 | ||
I will be this age when my spouse/partner plans to retire | 9.5 | 11.1 | ||
My job is too mentally demanding to work any longer | 10.4 | 9.8 | ||
My job would be too physically demanding to work any longer | 14.5 | 8.2 | ||
This is my employer’s specified retirement age | 11.5 | 33.2 | ||
This is the age I want to retire | 56.1 | 53.1 | ||
This is the age when I can receive a full pension | 34.3 | 10.2 | ||
This is the age when my financial commitments reduce (e.g. finish paying mortgage) | 9.2 | 5.6 | ||
To enjoy retirement as soon as I can afford to | 35.0 | 25.7 | ||
Which of the following would you miss once you fully retire from work? (You can answer more than one). | Being with colleagues and workmates | 42.8 | 17.0 | |
Having something to do | 29.9 | 38.8 | ||
Nothing | 20.5 | 15.3 | ||
The feeling of being useful | 28.1 | 25.4 | ||
The influence, being part of the decision making process | 13.1 | 13.0 | ||
The money | 45.9 | 39.8 | ||
The respect of my colleagues for what I do | 14.4 | 15.8 | ||
The work that I do | 27.4 | 21.4 | ||
Are you looking forward to (full) retirement? | Yes, I shall be pleased to retire/it will be a relief | Ÿ | 27.5 | 20.4 |
I am relaxed about it | 34.9 | 41.9 | ||
Not really, I am apprehensive | 18.0 | 17.5 | ||
Not at all, I am dreading it | 4.3 | 4.1 | ||
I haven’t really thought about it. | 15.4 | 16.1 | ||
Which of the following would you like to do before you fully retire? | To become self-employed | 4.6 | 8.4 | |
To take on a new job within your organisation | 8.0 | 6.0 | ||
To change to a job which is less demanding in your current workplace | 9.3 | 8.5 | ||
To spend all or some of your working time mentoring or sharing knowledge with colleagues | 10.0 | 10.1 | ||
Nothing | 10.5 | 5.9 | ||
To stay in your present job, but to vary your job content | 11.5 | 11.9 | ||
To work occasionally | 14.9 | 23.3 | ||
To stay in your present job but change your working hours | 18.0 | 11.0 | ||
How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements? | ||||
I am optimistic about the future | Strongly agree/agree | 51.0 | 40.1 | |
On the whole, my life is as close to how I would want it to be | Strongly agree/agree | 44.9 | 44.5 | |
I am satisfied with my life | Strongly agree/agree | 56.5 | 47.5 | |
I am satisfied with my present job | Strongly agree/agree | 59.9 | 45.9 | |
I am satisfied with how my career has turned out | Strongly agree/agree | 47.0 | 35.3 | |
I am satisfied with my health these days | Strongly agree/agree | 55.5 | 41.6 | |
I have a lot of choice over my career | Strongly agree/agree | 26.4 | 24.9 | |
I have a lot of choice over how and when I retire | Strongly agree/agree | 42.3 | 32.8 | |
I have a lot of choice over how my life turns out | Strongly agree/agree | 49.1 | 40.5 |
- Prelims
- Chapter 1 Managing Age in Asia and Europe: An Introduction
- Chapter 2 Productive Ageing Society in Japan and Poland and Its Impacts on Productivity and Prosperity
- Chapter 3 Delaying Retirement in Changing Institutional and Workplace Contexts: Comparing Approaches and Outcomes in Germany, the United Kingdom and Hong Kong
- Chapter 4 How Retirement Is Financed in the East and West
- Chapter 5 Workforce Management and the Retention of Older Staff: Macro and Organisational-Level Processes in the United Kingdom and South Korea
- Chapter 6 Age and Industrial Relations in Class-Based and Enterprise Unions
- Chapter 7 Healthy Workplaces in Europe and Malaysia
- Chapter 8 Learning and Training for Older Workers
- Chapter 9 Managing Eldercare in the United Kingdom and China
- Chapter 10 Workplace Age Diversity: The Employers’ Perspectives
- Appendix UK and Hong Kong Survey of Older Workers
- About the Authors
- Index