Populus Poll

Employment

• More than eight in ten (86%) Saga respondents say that they have changed their working patterns since turning 50. They are most likely to have done this by retiring (43%), taking early retirement (31%) or cutting their hours (12%).
• When asked the reasons behind retiring, respondents are most likely to say that financially, they no longer needing to work (35%). For early retirees, respondents are equally likely to say they financially no longer needed to work (32%) and wanted a better work life balance (32%).
• When asked the reasons behind choosing to cut their hours, respondents are most likely to cite wanting a better work/life balance (66%).
• 5% of respondents continue to work past the state retirement age. The most common reasons given are enjoying their job (68%), that they like being around people (42%), or want to contribute to society (40%).

Working patterns

• Two-thirds (67%) of respondents who have changed their working patterns say that their wellbeing has improved, 19% say that it has stayed the same and 12% say that it has got worse.
• Younger respondents are more likely than older respondents to agree that their wellbeing has improved as a result of the change in their working patterns (71% of 60-69 year olds vs. 55% of 80-89 year olds respectively).

Discrimination in the workplace

• One fifth (18%) of Saga respondents have felt discriminated in the workplace because of their age. Three in five (58%) say that they have never felt discriminated in the workplace.
• Half (48%) of respondents agree that discrimination against older people is a serious problem in the UK. Female respondents are, on average, more likely than male respondents to agree that discrimination is a serious problem (52% of females vs. 44% of males respectively).
• Younger respondents are, on average, more likely than older respondents to agree that they have been discriminated against at work because of their age (23% of 50-59 year olds vs. 12% of 80-89 year olds).
• 45% of respondents who have felt discriminated in the workplace took action, 49% took no action and 6% would prefer not to say.
• Respondents who took action are most likely to have raised it with a line manager (21%), family or friends (16%) or their HR department (11%).
• 35% of respondents felt better for taking action, but four in ten (40%) respondents said that it made no difference and 27% said that there was no outcome.

Setting up businesses

• 8% of Saga respondents have set up their own business since turning fifty. Male respondents are, on average, more likely than female respondents to set up their own business (10% of males vs. 5% of females).
• When asked the reasons for setting up their own business, respondents are most likely to say that they wanted to work for themselves (57%), wanted a better work/life balance (34%) or no longer needed to work financially so were in the position to set up their own business (12%).
• Respondents that have set up their own businesses after turning 50 are most likely to operate in the professional services (21%), education (8%) or IT (8%).
• A quarter (26%) of respondents that have set up a business after turning 50 have taken courses to teach them how to manage business. Female respondents are, on average, more likely than male respondents to have taken courses (33% of females vs. 23% of males respectively).
• Seven in ten (69%) respondents did not do any training when they started their own business because they felt they knew the industry well.
• On average, Saga respondents have run their businesses for eleven years.
• Three in four (75%) of those that have set up a business after turning 50 make a profit from their business, 15% break even and only 3% make a loss.

Obstacles in the workplace

• The majority of respondents (63%) have not experienced any of the mentioned obstacles in the workplace since turning 50. The obstacles they most often report are feeling out of touch with technology (17%), being overlooked for promotion (11%) and having a lack of confidence to apply for jobs (9%).
• Younger respondents, on average, are more likely than older respondents to have felt out of touch with technology (20% of 50-59 year olds vs. 12% of 80-89 year olds respectively).
• To improve their chances in the workplace, respondents are most likely to have got fitter (8%), lost weight (8%) or got glasses (6%).
• Eight in ten (81%) respondents have not taken any action to improve their chances in the workplace since turning 50.

Populus interviewed 9,688 Saga respondents, all aged 50+ online between 21th and 28th August 2017. Data was weighted to be nationally representative. Populus is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules; for more information www.populus.co.uk