The Healthpath Project

Why study healthy pathways to retirement?

Not everyone can keep working into their late 60s or 70s — and for some, trying to do so can be harmful to their health. The Healthpath project is about understanding why some people manage to retire in good health, while others struggle.

As our population gets older, governments are encouraging people to work longer. One way they do this is by raising the state pension age. The idea is to help people stay active and contribute to the economy. But for many, this change comes with risks. Longer working lives can be tough, especially for those facing physical or mental health challenges. That makes it harder for some workers to reach retirement age while still feeling well and performing well at work. We call this a “healthy pathway to retirement” (HPTR).

It’s not just workers who are feeling the strain. Employers are also dealing with staff shortages, particularly in key areas like education and healthcare. To help, some sectors have introduced policies through collective labor agreements, and many employers have their own measures, like flexible hours or support for employees to talk openly about health issues.

Most research so far has looked at either individual factors (like health and lifestyle) or workplace factors (like policies and work culture) separately. Healthpath brings these together. We study how personal circumstances and workplace environments interact to influence someone’s ability to work healthily up to retirement. This means looking at everything from sector-wide policies to day-to-day practices inside individual organizations.

By combining insights from health science and sociology, and gathering data across industries, employers, and workers themselves, Healthpath aims to find practical ways to help more people enjoy a healthy, fulfilling journey to retirement.

Healthpath is funded by a ZonMW Open Competition grant awarded in 2021.