PurposeThe authors said their exploratory research question was “does perceived control interact with PRW intentions in influencing actual planning for PRW?”Design/methodology/approachParticipants were nurses from the Midwestern US, and all were 45 years and older. A total of 469 qualified and complete questionnaires were received with an average age of 54.6.FindingsThe results showed that attitude and subjective norm were significantly related to PRW planning, but not perceived control. But perceived control correlated with PRW planning. Meanwhile, PRW intentions were positively related to PRW planning. The data also suggested that variables of TPB significantly predict older employees’ PRW intentions above and beyond age, health status and retirement income satisfaction. Finally, CIs indicated that the indirect effects of attitude and subjective norm on actual planning for PRW via PRW intentions were significant.Originality/valuePrevious studies have shown that people who plan for PRW are more likely to actually do it. However, there have been very few studies on the antecedents of older workers’ actual planning.