Book contents
- The Cambridge Handbook of the Ethics of Ageing
- Cambridge Handbooks in Philosophy
- The Cambridge Handbook of the Ethics of Ageing
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- Part I Ageing and the Good Life
- Part II Ageing and Morality
- Part III Ageing and Society
- 14 ‘To Grandmother’s House We Go’: On Women, Ethics, and Ageing
- 15 Ageing, Unequal Longevities and Intergenerational Justice
- 16 Ageing, Justice, and Work: Alternatives to Mandatory Retirement
- 17 Age and Well-Being: Ethical Implications of the U-Curve of Happiness
- 18 The Desirability and Morality of Life Extension
- References
- Index
16 - Ageing, Justice, and Work: Alternatives to Mandatory Retirement
from Part III - Ageing and Society
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 August 2022
- The Cambridge Handbook of the Ethics of Ageing
- Cambridge Handbooks in Philosophy
- The Cambridge Handbook of the Ethics of Ageing
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- Part I Ageing and the Good Life
- Part II Ageing and Morality
- Part III Ageing and Society
- 14 ‘To Grandmother’s House We Go’: On Women, Ethics, and Ageing
- 15 Ageing, Unequal Longevities and Intergenerational Justice
- 16 Ageing, Justice, and Work: Alternatives to Mandatory Retirement
- 17 Age and Well-Being: Ethical Implications of the U-Curve of Happiness
- 18 The Desirability and Morality of Life Extension
- References
- Index
Summary
In this chapter, we assess the case for mandatory retirement. After briefly considering the issue of age discrimination, we examine a couple of influential arguments in defence of mandatory retirement. Drawing on the work of Edward Lazear, we contend that the most promising basis on which to justify the policy is as a device for employers to structure wage payments over time to optimize workers’ performance. While this argument has some force, we believe that, on closer inspection, it supports a more modest alternative to mandatory retirement whereby employers have the right to reduce the number of hours of older workers. We conclude the chapter by exploring some complexities relating to the fact that economic conditions are not constant across generations.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Cambridge Handbook of the Ethics of Ageing , pp. 228 - 242Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2022
- 5
- Cited by