European Policy Analysis Volume 2, Number 1, Spring 2016 | Page 71

European Policy Analysis

are often required to be given longer notice
periods in the case of dismissals and higher
severance payment.

It should be noted that despite
favorable employment protection legislation,
the official position toward retirement
may have an influence on the decision of
withdrawal from the labor market. For
example, Piasna (2010) while analyzing the
recent changes in the Polish national social
dialogue discourse found that the transition
to retirement is presented in a national
strategic document as highly structured and
determined by the labor market policy and
institutions. Piasna (2010) presents evidence
that the national policy pushes elderly
workers to leave the labor market at the age
of retirement.

Working conditions. A number of
studies focus on the influence of the working
conditions while making a decision to
continue or stop working in old age. Pieces
of evidence from the literature on how
institutional characteristics in the field of
working conditions can impact preferences
of retirement are presented further.

The research of Szubert and Sobala
(2005) in Poland confirmed that a piecework
system, overtime work, heavy lifting at work,
and a self-assessment of fatigue after a workday
and the amount of leisure time are the risk
factors of early retirement because they lead
to the inability to work. Szubert and Sobala
(2005) concluded that the improvement of
work organization and working conditions,
mostly through the elimination of piecework
systems, the reduction of physical workload,
or exposure to some occupational hazards
would significantly contribute to decreasing
the tendency for early retirement.

Costa, Sartori, and Åkerstedt (2006)
concluded that the control of the work time
may improve the work–life balance (to
suit the family and social commitments, to
optimize the commuting hours, and to adjust

personal working capacity) of older workers
in Western European countries.

The study performed by TobiaszAdamczyk et al. (2007) in Poland presented
the evidence that the occupational status
is related to the health consequences
of employment in particular working
environments. The analysis showed that the
highest mortality risk was noted for skilled
manual workers as well as workers with
vocational basic education.

Siegrist et al. (2007) noted that the
motivation to leave the workplace in older
age in old EU member states is higher
when there is a mismatch between the
employee’s efforts and awards. Helman et al.
(2008) indicated that one of the factors that
influences stop working in the age over 65
for the U.S. citizens is the lack of satisfaction
with the workplace and the depreciation of
the American employee’s capabilities and
talents.

Pietilainen et al. (2011) found that
working conditions in Finland (such as shift
work, temporary work contract, hazardous
exposures, physical work load, computer
work, low control, high demands, and
social support at work) explained around
20% of the association of self-rated health
with subsequent disability due to mental
disorders.

Santa (2011) mentioned that other
factors have an impact on the decision to
continue professional activity: work-related
personal satisfaction, the investment in
long years and complex studies that lead
to a high qualification, an appealing cost/
benefit balance, the awareness of the social
importance of the work.

Lahelma et al. (2012) analyzed
working conditions as risk factors for
disability retirement in Finland (Helsinki).
The authors of the study discovered that
heavy physical workload and low job
control remained the primary risk factors
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