Demographic trends in industrialized nations are leading to a loss of know-how and experience as the baby boomer generation retires. Skills, technologies, and the willingness to employ older employees up to and beyond retirement age are changing. Age stereotypes and discrimination can lead to a loss of working capacity and well-being in working life. On the employee side, cognitive skills change over the course of a lifetime, as do priorities in lifestyle and much more.
Of the nearly 30,000 employees of the city administration of Zurich (Switzerland), approximately 40% of the workforce will reach retirement age in the next 5-7 years. Before the program flexible retirement was introduced, the average retirement age was 63. The program was developed, piloted, and introduced in an interdisciplinary collaboration. The aim is to give employees more flexibility in the final phase of their careers, promote well-being and reduce stress, reduce early retirements, and enable continued employment after the official retirement age of 65.
Prior to the pilot phase, 26 semi-structured interviews were conducted. Scientific studies and practical models were systematized with regard to competencies and changes in performance from a psychological perspective, as well as design options at the organizational level. Continued employment for people aged 66+ was piloted and evaluated with N=31 participants in three sectors (transport, care, and social work). The final program was developed and introduced in 2024 for all municipal employees in all sectors. The use and acceptance of the program, the perceived benefits for the employer, and the impact on the well-being of those involved will be evaluated in Q1 2026. In this presentation, we will discuss a range of psychological factors such as competence retention, performance behavior, knowledge transfer, wellbeing, and social sustainability and reflect on success factors in transdisciplinary collaboration in practical psychology.