Vertical and horizontal trust at work as predictors of retirement intentions: the Finnish Public Sector Study.

Charlotte Muurinen,Jaana Pentti,Matti Laine,Marianna Virtanen,Mika Kivimäki,Tuula Oksanen,Paula Salo,Jussi Vahtera,Frank Krueger

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0106956

Abstract

This prospective cohort study aimed to examine the associations of trust towards the supervisor (vertical trust) and trust towards co-workers (horizontal trust) with retirement intentions. The participants were 14 840 women and men working in the municipal sector in 2000–12 (Finnish Public Sector Study). Trust (vertical trust towards the supervisor and horizontal trust towards co-workers) and retirement intentions were assessed in repeated surveys. Multivariable multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the association between baseline trust and retirement intentions at 3.7 years of follow-up. Demographic characteristics, health, psychological distress, health risk behaviors, personality factors, and psychosocial factors were included as covariates. Of the participants, 67.0% trusted their supervisor and 54.9% trusted their co-workers. Employees who trusted their supervisor (odds ratio (OR) 0.60, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.53–0.67) and employees who trusted their co-workers (odds ratio 0.62, 95% confidence interval 0.55–0.70) at baseline were less likely to have strong retirement intentions at follow-up compared to those who did not trust. These associations largely persisted after adjusting for all covariates and taking into account baseline retirement intentions. In conclusion, trust in the supervisor and co-workers predicted retirement intentions. These observational findings suggest that increasing trust in the workplace may contribute to lengthening working careers and preventing early retirement.

Highlights

In most high-income countries the population is ageing: life expectancy is increasing, while birth rates are decreasing [1,2]
Study Context This study was conducted in Finland, where since 2005 the national old-age pension for both men and women is payable from age 65, but age-based retirement is possible between the ages of 63 and 68 [27]
Women were more likely than men to trust coworkers, while no difference between men and women were found in trust towards the supervisor

Summary

Introduction

In most high-income countries the population is ageing: life expectancy is increasing, while birth rates are decreasing [1,2]. The process of early retirement is influenced by a wide range of both work and non-work related factors [4,5,6]. These factors are often divided into factors that push the person to leave the workforce, such as poor health, and factors that pull the person towards retirement, such as a retired spouse [5,7]. The process of early retirement can be seen as a result of the interplay between both personal and environmental factors [4]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion