Should Manual Workers Get to Retire Early?

I still can't believe an office worker or politely a pen pusher should be able to retire along side a manual worker at the same age. This is totally out of order. I am hoping the manual worker retires earlier claiming to have a bad back.

As a pen pusher myself I can kind of understand where you are coming from but I think that all workers should be able to retire at the age they were promised when they started paying into a pension. It should be fair for everyone, not just for those in certain jobs

My work place is a mix of both. Every day I see the effects of manual labour on the human body. Repetitive heavy moving ( within H&S regulations). 12/14 hour days on your feet Vs comfy seat, quiet desk.

I am a desk jockey. I would fully support a mandatory earlier retirement age for those on their feet all day. It's exhausting

Being a manual worker does have the advantage of keep you much fitter which is good for overall health. Both manual and desk have the same amount stress which is toxic for your health. You need to find the right balance and retire when your body tells you it's the right time or switch to something else.

There will be a rise in the retirement age but really we need to reduce hours rather than retire. As you get older you are less fit and it makes more sense to reduce hours. Probably when you hit 55 you should be down to about 4 days a week and maybe 3 at 60 and 2 at 65, 1 at 70 and retire fully at 75. The government pension would only be paid for the days you don't work. Working hard 5 days a week and then the next day fully retired is an abrupt shock to the system and like most things gradual changes work better and less dramatic. Those that want to keep working full time can of course do that if the company provides that option and those that want to fully retire earlier can of course provide for that with their own personal pension.

Financially I can't see the pension keeping pace with inflation. We may need an IMF bailout at some point. The government keeps borrowing at a an alarming rate and still hasn't attempted to tackle the huge trading deficit and other issues with our economy. We have a population on economic self-destruct exporting a huge chunk of their wages on imported cars and holidays etc and people seem to think they can live to the same standard as previously with no industry to support that lifestyle. We are heading to a huge financial crunch caused by both the politicians and general population. So a huge reduction in services as well as raising retirement age is one way of delaying this huge financial meltdown but ultimately the underlying issues with our economy have to be tackled.

Good points have been made re retirement . In effect you can retire when you wish it's just when you will get your STATE pension that is being considered . Private pensions and workplace pensions can be taken any time after age 55 .

A good point made re the health benefits of an active manual job v a sedentary office job . I think we are long past the days of the "dark satanic mills " and the 12 hours per day 5 and a half days a week down the pit .

This is in relation to state pension! It should be the case that anyone who has been paying into the state pension can retire from age 55, just like private pensions, however, it comes at a reduction in state pension the earlier you retire. That is the only fair way of doing it. Manual workers and non manual workers do not have a right to benefit any more or less from the pension pot! The question here is why does the government not currently allow earlier retirement at a reduced rate for those who know their life expectancy is not so long or have health issues as currently they loose out on what they have paid in having to wait til they are 67?

Manual workers should retire earlier because of the strain on their bodies, it takes a lot out of the body physically over the years.

In the 21st Century surely we should be working towards everyone retiring earlier so that we aren't too decrepit to enjoy our later years. Crikey, they are rioting in France about having the pension age increased to 64....

I personally know many current and former manual workers who's bodies are showing the strain, some of them (roofers) are only in their 20's.

The governments answer would be for them to re-train but the reason many people take manual jobs is because they don't want to work cooped up in offices and it is not an environment that they would thrive in.

With the current drop in mortality rates the 68 year pension age has, I believe, been temporarily postponed.

Has anyone spoken to anyone in their 60s and asked them (not superficially) how they are actually feeling? Not many people gripe about all their growing aches and pains to all and sundry but bodies do wear out, we all just accept each new ache/pain and take it in our stride.

It's already too late for me, my retirement won't be very vigorous as I can't do many things either at all or easily - even now.

Retirement should be something that we look forward to after paying in the the system year after year....

Nurse aged 66 having to manhandle overweight people in and out of bed ? Fireman climbing down a ladder with someone on his back aged 67 ? a 68 year old Policeman chasing after a 20 year old ? No ! But 650 MPs on £80,000+ sat about all day and partying all week taking early retirement because they are loaded and don't need to work. Ultra fit footballers on £100,000 a week retiring at 40 because they can ? we need a 'big correction' on who people are really worth and if they are not fit at 50+ to keep working because of heath issues should they live in poverty because they can no longer do the job they use to do. ?

I taught physics in secondary schools for 17 years. When I qualified, statistics showed that teachers who worked until 65 lived, on average, only a further 18 months. Stress had that big an impact on their life expectancy. The whole argument has so many factors other than the amount of physical labour anyone carries out, looking at it like this is ridiculously simplistic to the point of being idiotic. You should be ashamed to publish something so facile.

I've had manual job for the last 30 odd years and have just got a more sedentary role at 55. By this reckoning I would have to retire later but I've done my graft. So no it's not fair!

I am a 61 year old manual worker and I have a pretty strenuous job. I can honestly say that working since the age of 16 in manual jobs is really starting to take it's toll on me and I can't believe that manual workers are expected to work so late in life. You actually find that a lot of non manual jobs are actually better paid and those people who work in them can usually retire earlier anyway. The whole thing seems very very unfair to me.

yes they should retire earlier than people who sit in comfort in a warm place pushing a pen...........

Stop before you drop!

Physically demanding office workers??? l think physically demanding jobs should. But nor office workers, how demanding physically is an office job!

Yes .. also if you keep doing repetitive movements it could lead to osteoarthritis

i would like to retire at 50 lol we will see how that goes hey. be nice tho wouldnt it.