If people do not want to retire out of fear of being short of money, it is one thing; but, for the outstanding teacher aged 65 who wants to go on working so that more young people can benefit from his experience, it is something else.
Everyone knows that experience cannot be bought; it has to be acquired. If someone is kept on in the labour market, then succession does not take place. It is a matter of balance. Someone who keeps their job till age 72 or 75 is depriving a 22- or 23-year-old of 10 years’ experience. But many non-governmental organizations need volunteers and the wealth of experience held by senior citizens.
I give that as an example, because I worked for 30 years at Bell Canada. I left two years ago, and telecommunications technology changes every three months. If I went back, I would be completely lost. I would only be good for making photocopies. There have been too many changes.
If I retired, I would not want to go back to work. But I would do volunteer work, either in literacy programs or accompanying senior citizens. The problem for me is when I hear about someone who wants to work until the age of 72. They could do something else.
I would like to know what you think about that.