Contributor(s): Susan Scholefield, David Sinclair, Professor Sir Vince Cable | Prior to retiring people rarely consider these questions, and there is little of a public policy framework to help them do so. How much do we understand – or anticipate - the psychological life-change around moving from a full-time executive role to something else? The path to retirement is sometimes direct, sometimes voluntary and rarely what we think it will be.

We discuss what research, teaching and ethnography can tell us about public policy around aging and the transition from work to retirement. The discussion touches on current public policy debates about the retirement age, anti-age discrimination, health and well-being.