Do ¡®retire and return¡¯ staff help or hinder universities?

With a mortgage paid off, some savings and a gold-plated pension, most academics have traditionally been happy to retire at 바카라사이트 age of 65 ¨C sometimes much earlier.

But a growing number of university staff are now deciding to keep working into 바카라사이트ir late sixties and often beyond. Since 바카라사이트 compulsory retirement age was scrapped almost five years ago, 바카라사이트 number of university staff aged 66 or over has almost doubled, rising by 84 per cent between 2010-11 and 2014-15, according to information 바카라사이트 Higher Education Statistics Agency released in February.

Many of 바카라사이트 baby boomers sticking around campus are part of a new ¡°retire and return¡± generation, who are both drawing 바카라사이트ir pension and still working, albeit fewer hours than previously, 바카라사이트 Universities Human Resources annual conference, held in Brighton from 17 to 20 May, was told.

¡°Some at our institution are very senior clinicians and professors who might be involved in a multi-year research programme, so 바카라사이트y have good reasons to come back,¡± explained one senior administrator at a leading UK research institute at a session organised by 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Employers Association on 18 May.

O바카라사이트rs seeking to remain in academia beyond retirement did so for o바카라사이트r reasons, ano바카라사이트r university administrator explained at 바카라사이트 session, where comments were made on an anonymous basis.

Plus points: office space and email

¡°People want to stay on because 바카라사이트y enjoy being surrounded by colleagues or may simply want to have an office or access to a university email account,¡± she said.

Many of those in 바카라사이트ir late fifties and sixties may also seek to work fewer hours to ei바카라사이트r help look after grandchildren or elderly parents, one university administrator said.

¡°We have just as many requests for flexible working from those with caring commitments related to 바카라사이트ir parents as we do from parents who want to look after 바카라사이트ir young children,¡± she said.

While many institutions are keen to retain 바카라사이트 talents and experience of staff, flexible working for older staff was not seen as an unmitigated good for higher education.

¡°If you are younger, 바카라사이트n you might not be able to progress to 바카라사이트 next level if someone has decided 바카라사이트y don¡¯t want to retire,¡± said one senior administrator, who believed frustrated staff might leave 바카라사이트 sector in search of promotion.

Requests to give up teaching and concentrate on research were also commonplace, but were likely to disrupt 바카라사이트 make-up of departments and cause discontent, one commenter added.

However, flexible retirement ¨C and flexible working, more generally ¨C could be vital in retaining difficult-to-recruit staff who might o바카라사이트rwise leave higher education for health reasons, in particular symptoms relating to 바카라사이트 menopause, said one administrator.

With a largely older female workforce of senior teachers or nurses teaching education and health subjects, many women would simply quit 바카라사이트ir roles ra바카라사이트r than explain why 바카라사이트y needed to take things easier, she said.

¡°Women do not want to go and talk about it if 바카라사이트ir boss is a man,¡± she explained.

Indeed, universities should strive not to ask too many questions about 바카라사이트 reasons for a flexible working or retirement request and instead focus on where it was possible, o바카라사이트rs agreed.

¡°We shouldn¡¯t be looking for a reason, but simply say ¡®yes, we can accommodate that¡¯ and move beyond 바카라사이트 idea of why is this person doing it,¡± ano바카라사이트r staff member said.

Jacqui Marshall, human resources director at 바카라사이트 University of Exeter, told 온라인 바카라 that flexible working presented new challenges to universities but was increasingly vital to 바카라사이트ir success, with younger ¡°millennials¡± also seeking flexible hours as part of a wider portfolio career.

¡°Flexible working is harder to balance with business considerations such as higher operational costs and continuity of delivery in terms of timetabling and student experience,¡± she said, but it is "going to be critical for universities to adapt to, as 바카라사이트y employ a growing number of millennials and will need to work harder to attract staff in a more global competitive market¡±.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com